How and why we got started 

Children's Roads to Recovery was created by Michael and Della Polk in loving memory of their son, Christopher. They wanted to ease the financial burden of other families who were experiencing the pain of caring for a critically ill child. We are a non-profit organization staffed 100% by volunteers; including doctors, nurses, social workers, travel and hospitality professionals and other caring individuals. We believe that every child should have a chance for a happy and healthy life.

In our fifth year of operation it was decided to change the organization's name to reflect our true mission, thus, our new name is "Children 's Roads To Recovery, Inc."

BACKGROUND: Christopher Michael Polk was diagnosed with Cancer on October 1, 1986. He underwent numerous treatments at the Johns Hopkins Children's Center for his illness. The battle continued for four years and during that time Chris was in and out of the hospital, sometimes staying in for months at a time. In September of 1 989 the Polk's were told that their son now had Leukemia, as a result of his previous Cancer treatments. A search went out for a bone marrow donor, but no matching could be found. Chris needed a bone marrow transplant or he would not live. He was given a 20% chance of surviving a bone marrow transplant from his mother, Della. Although Della's marrow was close, it was not a perfect match. The family had to travel to the University of Kentucky Medical Center in order for Chris to undergo the transplant. Their insurance did not cover the cost of traveling for Chris or his family, and it did not cover the cost of renting an apartment for the many months of recovery. It was through the generosity and support from family and friends that Mike and Della were able to take Chris to Kentucky to receive his last chance for a cure. Ultimately, Chris lost his battle to Cancer on August 10, 1990, at the age of nine. His family was comforted by the knowledge that they exhausted every possibility and did everything they could to save his life. The purpose of Children`s Roads To Recovery is to provide that same chance for a cure to other children.

Our Achievements: Children 's Roads To Recovery has provided services such as: round trip air fare, rental cars, mass transit & rail passes, medical air ambulance, gasoline gift certificates, hospital parking vouchers and cafeteria meal vouchers, grocery store gift certificates so they can stock the pantry at their resident living facility (like a Ronald McDonald House), hotel accommodations and prepaid telephone calling cards. Eighty-seven percent of all funds went directly to patient aid and the remainder was used for fund raising.

Referring hospitals, to name a few are:

January 2009 Newsletter

OUR VISION:

To help children who suffer from a life threatening illness or injury in their quest to find a cure and be well again.

To give them the opportunity to travel to and from an approved medical facility to receive potentially life saving treatment, no matter where the facility is located within the United States.

To relieve the overwhelming financial burdens thrust on the family.  We know that caring for a critically ill child is both an emotional and financial strain on a family.

To give the family peace of mind in knowing that their child has every opportunity to receive the best medical treatment available.