"ConKerr Cancer is blessed with a simple,
clear mission To make life brighter for children
with life changing illnesses and injuries."

“ConKerr Cancer: A Case for Smiles” was started when Ryan Kerr was diagnosed with a rare form of bone cancer at the age of twelve.  Despite his illness - and many, many trips to the hospital - Ryan lived a full life of school, sports and friends.  To make his hospital room cheerier, his mom Cindy began making fun, whimsical pillowcases to brighten up his day and put a smile on his face.  Ryan liked them so much that Cindy started making pillowcases for the other children in the Oncology Unit.  In a short time, the pillowcase project grew in amazing ways and has provided more than 210,000 pillowcases to sick children.  Thousands of volunteers from across North America and South Africa have joined in so that ConKerr has more than 117 chapters serving over 170 hospitals.

 
ConKerr Cancer volunteers also visit oncology units and outpatient clinics in order to guide young patients as they learn to sew pillowcases for themselves, their family and their friends.  Volunteers bring all that is required for the children to design and create the perfect masterpiece.   Girls and boys, mothers, fathers and siblings, all join in for this fun distraction during one of the most stressful experiences of life.  But the benefits go far beyond distraction.  The activity boosts the children’s self esteem, confidence and sense of mastery.  They are so proud of themselves when they see what they’ve made that they flash giant smiles of satisfaction!

ConKerr Cancer has been able to make wonderful progress towards fulfilling our goal of making hospital stays as pleasant as possible for chronically ill children and their parents.  Simultaneously the pillowcase project has fostered a spirit of community and volunteer service in communities across North America.  Unfortunately the number of sick children never ends, and we must continue to expand our efforts to help brighten sick children’s lives and raise awareness about childhood cancer.     

We hope you will join us – we guarantee it will put a smile on your face too!

ConKerr Cancer featured in American Patchwork & Quilting. Check us out!

Cindy Kerr was on
Martha Stewart's Dreamers Show!