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TCCF: When Hope Needs a Helping Hand
“Sometimes changing a child’s life begins with something as simple as refusing to look away.”
There are some stories that make you stop scrolling.
They remind you how fragile life can be, and how powerful a community can become when it decides that a child’s circumstances will not determine their future.
Photo Courtesy of TCCF
For more than two decades, The Caribbean Children Foundation (TCCF) has been doing exactly that.
Founded in 2000, TCCF helps critically ill children from the Caribbean access specialized medical treatment that may not be available in their home countries. To date, the foundation says it has helped 478 children, including children receiving care at Toronto’s Hospital for Sick Children.
Photo Courtesy of TCCF
Here is the part that deserves our attention: TCCF is entirely volunteer run. No one is paid a salary or wages, and the organization says every penny goes directly toward its cause.
Look at the names behind the numbers: Sarah, Venus, Yudeimy, Zayn, Daisha, Joshua, Juliette, Kareem, Kellon, Mateo and so many others featured in TCCF’s Angel stories. These are children with families, futures, fears and dreams, and sometimes the medical challenges are staggering.
TCCF recounts the story of Nirvana Garib, a child from Trinidad diagnosed with a brain tumour at SickKids. Her family faced the unimaginable prospect of raising $90,000 for surgery. The Caribbean community responded, helping make that treatment possible.
Another story tells of Rashaan Abel, a 16-year-old from Guyana living with severe scoliosis that had progressed to the point of pressing against his lung. Through TCCF’s partnership with SpineHope, Rashaan received the surgery he desperately needed.
This is why TCN NOW remains committed to supporting TCCF. Our communities are families looking after families. We are neighbours becoming lifelines. We are people who understand that sometimes the difference between despair and hope is whether someone is willing to step forward.
As TCCF celebrates another milestone with its 26th Anniversary Angel Gala, it is an invitation to remember who we are.
You can donate. Sponsor. Fundraise. Give through your workplace. Support an event. Or simply share the story. TCCF offers several ways for individuals and organizations to become part of the work. Somewhere, there is a child who needs a chance, and sometimes, a community is the bridge between needing that chance and getting it.
TCN NOW salutes TCCF, and the volunteers, donors, medical partners and families helping Caribbean children find their way back to health.