About Us

  • The Origins of Little Angels

    The Little Angels Blood Cancer Fund is a registered charity founded in 1996 by Diane George-Wiggins, an early bone marrow transplant recipient. Learn more about the history of Little Angels here.

  • Our Mission

    The Little Angels Blood Cancer Fund provides financial support to qualified patients experiencing financial difficulty while undergoing treatment for blood cancer or a stem cell transplant at The Ottawa Hospital. We help patients by funding non-medical expenses such as travel, accommodation, childcare and food.

  • Ottawa Hospital Foundation

    The Ottawa Hospital Foundation (OHF) administers the Little Angels Blood Cancer Fund, issues tax receipts for donations and works with us to manage the fundraising side of special events. The OHF is responsible for creating and administering the Little Angels fundraising website donors use to sponsor skiers or snowshoers participating in the Gatineau Loppet, one of our main fundraising events.

How We Accomplish Our Mission

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FUNDRAISING

Little Angels raises funds that hospital social workers use to assist qualified patients. All money raised goes into an account at The Ottawa Hospital. Social workers can draw on this account to provide funds to patients struggling with non-medical costs related to their treatment.

Two cross country skiers on winter day

VOLUNTEERS

Our main fundraising source comes from volunteers who gather pledges to support their participation in the Gatineau Loppet or the February Activity Challenge. We also raise funds through an auction or lottery at the biannual Blood and Marrow Transplant picnic.

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GIFTS

Former blood cancer and stem cell transplant patients, their families or friends often decide to gift Little Angels. The Ottawa Hospital Foundation receives these gifts on our behalf.

Social worker in office building

SOCIAL WORKERS

Social workers interview patients to identify those who are eligible for Little Angels support. They dispense funds to eligible patients and maintain records of patient payments. They report to Little Angels regarding patient expenditures and changes in hospital plans and policies.

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For patients and their families of limited financial means, treatment presents a real and significant financial hardship – travel, time off work for family members who often act as caregivers supporting loved ones cared for in a distant hospital. Overcoming this lack of support for non-medical costs, but nevertheless very significant barriers to treatment, I see as the main benefit of Little Angels.

Dr. Lothar Huebsch, Hematology

The Little Angels Board

The Little Angels Board consists of individuals who, through their life experience, understand the challenges and pressures our patients can encounter.

The board establishes the criteria the hospital social workers use to determine the patients who qualify for Little Angels support. The Board also provides policy and other guidance to social workers to help them determine types and extent of assistance available to patients.

The Board functions as a team and works closely with the hospital social workers, doctors and nurses. As one of the hematology doctors said: 

Little Angels efforts continue to provide critical support of patients that keep coming through our doors. Many of these patients face a lot of challenges just getting here and staying in Ottawa throughout their transplant and your Fund helps them to make it through. Keep up the great work.

Little Angels is a lifeline for blood cancer patients in need. See how you can help.