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Rainbow Babies & Children's Hospital Formalizes Partnership With Flashes of Hope To Expand Photography Program Benefiting Children With Cancer

Posted on: Wednesday, 18 October 2006, 12:01 CDT

CLEVELAND, Oct. 18 /PRNewswire/ -- Flashes of Hope, a non profit organization that creates uplifting black and white portraits of children with cancer and other life threatening illnesses, has formalized a partnership with University Hospitals' Rainbow Babies and Children's Hospital (Rainbow). The partnership, which names Rainbow as the national founding sponsor, will greater assist Flashes of Hope, Inc. in expanding its photography program so children in cancer centers across the country will have an opportunity to participate.

Based in Cleveland, Flashes of Hope (Flashes) began its program in 2001 with its first session taking place at Rainbow. In the past three years chapters have opened in Atlanta, Boston, Denver, Virginia, Minneapolis and Philadelphia. The photographs, taken by award winning photographers and supported by professional make-up and hair stylists, are designed to capture the strength and determination of children surviving cancer and to create lasting memories for their families during the most challenging time of their young lives.

"When my 18-month-old son, Quinn had cancer, I got to know so many other sick kids and their wonderful families at Rainbow," says Allison Clarke, Flashes of Hope's creator. "Then my son's buddy, Mandwell, lost his battle. I remember wishing we had a photograph of him: one that captured his special spirit. That marked the moment that the Rainbow staff encouraged me to create Flashes. We are thrilled to be working together as we continue to offer our program to children in hospitals across the country."

Flashes has a long waiting list to begin its program in more than twenty- four children's cancer units and anticipates more than one-thousand children will be photographed this year alone. The support from Rainbow will help in funding the operational costs to start chapters in a dozen more cities each year.

"We are so proud to become an integral part of the Flashes of Hope mission. It is so uplifting for these children and their families to have a portrait that forever preserves the bravery, grace and dignity of their child," says John Letterio, MD, chief of the division of pediatric hematology/oncology and medical director of Rainbow Children's Cancer Center. "We are looking forward to watching the relationship grow in the years ahead."

Flashes of Hope will celebrate the new partnership with Rainbow at their annual October Swing into Style Event, this Thursday night, at 7:00 p.m. at Eaton Square Mall. The fashion show called "Big Shots and Little Stars" features local celebrities and business leaders with children surviving cancer. For more information call, 216-514-7005.

About Rainbow Babies & Children's Hospital

Rainbow Babies & Children's Hospital is one of America's great children's hospitals. Rainbow is the only hospital in Cleveland dedicated solely to the care of children. As the teaching hospital of Case Western Reserve University, Rainbow ranks among the top academic pediatric programs in the country receiving over $52 million yearly in research funding to support cutting edge investigation into the causes and treatments of pediatric diseases. In 2006, Rainbow ranked as the #4 children's hospital in the nation and the top children's hospital in the Midwest in the "America's Best Hospital's" issue of US News and World Report. Every new drug approved for children has been tested at Rainbow. Rainbow is a world leader in the treatment of children with cancer, heart disease, cystic fibrosis, sickle cell disease, kidney disease and pulmonary and endocrine disorders. More than 850 pediatric specialists - the most in Ohio - are on staff at Rainbow and its 40 special care centers. In addition Rainbow's nationally acclaimed residency training and fellowship programs train more than 100 pediatricians yearly. Rainbow's Neonatal Intensive Care and Pediatric Intensive Care Units along with the area's only Regional Pediatric Trauma Center carry the highest-designation levels available. Rainbow's pediatric cancer center, part of the Ireland Cancer Center, is a National Institutes of Cancer designated center. Rainbow Babies & Children's Hospital with 244 beds is the children's hospital of University Hospitals Case Medical Center. Visit http://www.rainbowbabies.org/

Rainbow Babies & Children's Hospital

CONTACT: Amanda Todorovich of University Hospitals of Cleveland,+1-216-844-1516, or amanda.todorovich@uhhospitals.org

Web site: http://www.rainbowbabies.org/

Source: PRNewswire

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