An Initiative of the Mary Kilgour Cunningham Stephenson Leblond Foundation

Why We Started

At 17 months old, April Montgomery’s daughter Claire was diagnosed with cancer on the base of her tongue.

April Montgomery and daughter Claire

After receiving the initial diagnosis, she endured months of chemotherapy, had an emergency tracheotomy and was eventually given a feeding tube because she was not gaining weight.

April and Claire were inpatient residents of the PICU at Connecticut Children’s Hospital for two weeks to ensure Claire’s breathing was controlled and that she had emergency care on hand.

It was determined that Claire was not a candidate for surgical resection of the tumor and that her only chance for survival was a combination of radiation and chemotherapy.

Due to the location of the tumor, traditional radiation was expected to cause brain damage therefore, precision dosage proton beam radiation was recommended in conjunction with chemotherapy.

At the time, Mass General Hospital in Boston was the only hospital in the U.S. to offer this therapy to children.

Claire’s treatment protocol was to be 5 days per week for 8 consecutive weeks.

April had already left her job to be at Claire’s side full-time and now, at a time of mounting medical bills, they faced the challenge of finding affordable temporary housing near the hospital in downtown Boston.

It was then that April learned of a fully-furnished apartment, near the hospital, for families of children receiving proton beam therapy and operated by a non-profit organization.

Supporting Families Together

Watch the video below to learn more about the amazing work that they do within our community.

The mission of the Bold + Brave Kid’s Foundation is to provide families a place to call home when cancer forces them to be brave.

Close Proximity to Hospital

Safe and Comfortable

Private

Relieves Finacial Burden

Claire is now a BOLD + BRAVE 19-year-old girl
and CANCER FREE!

Lastly, it gave Claire and April the opportunity for privacy and a sense of normalcy when they needed it most.

Support Our Mission

Bold and Brave Kid’s Foundation is a 501(c)(3) organization funded by private donations and supported by volunteers. We invite you to support our mission of providing a comfortable home away from home for families who bring their children for cancer treatment at the Cincinnati Children’s Proton Therapy Center. We encourage you to make a donation, provide an item from our wish list or become a volunteer.

Make a Donation

We welcome your charitable donation to
Bold + Brave Kid’s Foundation.
  • There are two ways that you may make a monetary donation.
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501(c)(3)