Who We Are

Since our founding in 2016, Larger Than Life Canada has worked with our partner organizations to improve the lives and welfare of children afflicted with cancer and providing support for their families. In our holistic approach, Larger Than Life Canada and our partners provide these children with the strength to fight their terrible illness and win.

Larger Than Life Canada’s partner in Israel, Gdolim M’Hachaim, annually assists approximately 1,500 children with cancer, some terribly ill and all fighting for their lives.  Their dedicated team and volunteers accompany the children and their families from the initial diagnosis to recovery.

We are proud to work with our partner to support children of all backgrounds, faiths, and cultures across Israel.  We support work in all hospitals across Israel and in the homes of sick children form the Negev to the Galilee.

Here in Canada, the Larger Than Life Canada team works from our homes, minimizing overhead expenses by eliminating the cost of renting office space. All the board members share their time and talents on a volunteer basis.

Larger Than Life Canada is a registered Canadian charity
Registration Number: 75733 1921 RR 0001

Larger Than Life Canada’s Activities and Projects

Larger Than Life Canada and its partners have built two Kindergarten of Dreams, one in Tel Aviv and one in Be’er Sheva. The facilities provide young children with compromised immune systems with a safe, sterile learning and rehabilitation environment.  We are currently working with our partners to build two more Kindergarten of Dreams in Israel.

Larger Than Life Canada and its partners have also developed a robust Medical Humanitarian Fund. The Fund helps families access DNA tests to develop treatments personalized to each child, covers international travel expenses for medical treatments, provides laptops and other technology to assist children with remote learning , and healthy food and direct financial support to parents who are unable to work because of their child’s illness.

In addition, Larger Than Life Canada and its partners sponsor summer camp experiences, for hundreds of children each year. Children battling cancer and their siblings attend a week-long  summer camp in northern Israel, where they enjoy water sports, arts and crafts, Jeep tours, dance parties, karaoke and more.  They can have a respite from hospital rooms and grueling treatments, and can simply enjoy themselves in a safe and secure environment, staffed by medical professionals, trained counselors and camp alumni.

In 2019, Larger Than Life Canada  sponsored a four-month pediatric oncology fellowship at the Hospital for Sick Children in Toronto, Canada.  Dr. Sarah Malkiel completed a fellowship in the hospital’s Blood and Marrow Transportation and Cellular Therapy program, concentrating on leukemia and bone marrow transplants.  Following the fellowship, she began working as a staff physician in Israel.

Background and Mission

When a child is diagnosed with cancer, their lives and the lives of their families undergo dramatic changes. For these families, life is channeled into a new track in which all the family’s resources – physical, emotional, and financial – are directed toward the treatment and welfare of the sick child.

Larger Than Life Canada’s mission is to support these children and their families. Through our strategic partnerships, we play a vital role in supporting a variety of activities for the children and their families, to improve their quality of life and potential medical outcome. These activities are designed to give the children happy experiences and joyous moments that will strengthen their motivation and give them the emotional and physical resources they need to battle this difficult disease.

OUR MISSION
We aim to support families in Israel facing pediatric cancer from diagnosis to recovery. These families are Israeli, and Bedouin; Jewish, Muslim and Christian, and we provide the same services and supports no matter the child or the family’s background or religion. Our method is to bring about a significant change in these families’ lives by creating joyful experiences while continuing to improve the quality of care and medical conditions for the children.

OUR VISION
To improve the quality of life and well-being of children with cancer and their families, all over Israel, regardless of religion, gender, or nationality.