When a child is diagnosed with cancer or a serious blood disorder, everything changes for his or her family. A parent may need to leave the workforce for a time to provide care. Depending on the diagnosis, the treatment period could be one year or several. And all the while, life goes on, things break, bills must be paid.
Clement’s Kindness was established in 2002 to help address the medical, psychological, social, emotional and financial needs of these families. Sandra Miller, the nonprofit’s administrator since 2013, says it works closely with Prisma Health BI-LO Charities Children’s Cancer Center and Bon Secours St. Francis Adolescent and Young Adult Cancer Care Center to fulfill its mission, primarily by addressing financial needs.
“Clement’s Kindness provides financial assistance to eligible families who need help paying their household bills or making ends meet,” Miller says. “We are here to help them with whatever is needed during this journey.”
Pam Broughton, social worker with the BI-LO Charities Children’s Cancer Center has worked with Clement’s Kindness since its inception. She says founders Knox and Priscilla Haynsworth were open to the center’s requests for assistance for families of pediatric patients with cancer and those with other blood disorders.
“Most charities will cover one or the other but not both. Because they are willing to include all patients aged 21 and under, they help just about every pediatric family that comes through these doors,” Broughton says. “Whether it’s a car repair, cell phone, mortgage or taxes, we’re able to say, ‘Don’t worry about that, we have a resource to assist you so you can focus on your child.”
Before COVID-19, Miller visited the hospital accompanied by special guests like a superhero or Disney princess and played with children to brighten their day. Clement’s Kindness also organizes family outings and events throughout the year.
“Children who are in and out of the hospital just want to be a kid, doing kid things, but it might be too risky for them to go into public places,” Miller says. “We create private events to get families together safely so they can have fun and regain a sense of normalcy. In some cases, it might be their last outing as a family; they are building extra memories.”
Clement’s Kindness has also provided funding for facility upgrades like a day clinic and a parent room at BI-LO Charities Children’s Cancer Center. By supporting construction of six cabins and an onsite infirmary, the nonprofit made it possible for the center’s patients to attend Camp Courage, a week each for ages 6–12 and 13–18.
“Medical staff is onsite during camp and they have everything they could need to have a safe and full camp experience,” Miller says.
These projects, and the Clement’s Kindness Children’s Garden in Cancer Survivors Park exemplify the organization’s holistic approach to caring for the families of children living with serious illness, says Suzy Haynsworth. Her in-laws founded the nonprofit to honor their son, Clement, who died at age 24.
“They met Dr. Cary Stroud, and when he told them about the need they saw a way they could give back to children. Clement loved children, and they knew the pain of losing a child. I know it provided comfort and a purpose,” Haynsworth says.
As donations grew, they turned to the Community Foundation of Greenville to create and administer the fund. They established the Clement’s Kindness Endowment Fund in 2004 to help ensure sustainability for the future. Clement’s Kindness receives funding from individual donors, private grants, TD SYNNEX Share the Magic, and high school spirit week campaigns.
“We’ve been lucky over the years to be able to go beyond the initial mission,” Haynsworth says. “I don’t know that we ever envisioned we’d be able to accomplish so much.”
