Mattie Miracle Cancer Foundation's Psychosocial Standards of Care for Children With Cancer and their Families is Endorsed By The Andrew McDonough B+ Foundation

    WASHINGTON, DC, March 16, 2017 /24-7PressRelease/ -- The Andrew McDonough B+ (Be Positive) Foundation (www.BePositive.org) has endorsed the Psychosocial Standards of Care for Children with Cancer and their families that were published in a 2015 special issue of Pediatric Blood and Cancer. The scientific, evidence-based psychosocial standards define a minimum level of care that all children with cancer and their families should receive.

The Mattie Miracle Cancer Foundation spearheaded the effort to create and implement Standards of Care to ensure patients and families have access to a minimum level of psychosocial care from the time of diagnosis, through survivorship, or end of life and bereavement care. "Having our child diagnosed with cancer, undergo treatment, and die from this disease, we learned that childhood cancer is not just about the medicine! The psychological impact of childhood cancer is just as real as the physical consequences for patients and their families," said Vicki Sardi-Brown, Co-Founder of the Mattie Miracle Cancer Foundation.

The B+ Foundation is one of the largest providers of financial assistance to families of kids with cancer nationwide. In 2016, The B+ Foundation awarded $1,500,000 to 2,200 families from over 200 hospitals and referring organizations. The B+ Foundation also funds critical, cutting-edge childhood cancer research. Their support of the Psychosocial Standards of care signals both their belief in the essential need for psychosocial standards of care, but also, the importance of the work that has been done to create the Standards.

"The childhood cancer community owes a debt of gratitude to the Browns for their leadership on this critically important, and often overlooked, area of holistic care for our children with cancer," said Joe McDonough, President of The Andrew McDonough B+ Foundation. "I truly hope that caregivers across the country swiftly embrace these standards."

The development of the Psychosocial Standards of Care is a major step forward in addressing the needs of children with cancer and their families. The integration of psychosocial care along with disease-directed treatment improves the quality of life across the cancer trajectory. Depression and other psychosocial concerns can affect adherence to treatment regimens and decrease coping abilities. Therefore, making psychosocial care as essential component of standard treatment maximizes positive treatment outcomes.

The Andrew McDonough B+ Foundation honors the life of Andrew McDonough. Andrew battled leukemia, septic shock and complications of childhood cancer for 167 days before passing away on July 14, 2007, at the age of 14. Andrew's B+ blood type became his family's and friends' motto throughout his fight against childhood cancer -- to "Be Positive".

Now that the Psychosocial Standards of Care for Children with Cancer and Their Families have been published, The Mattie Miracle Cancer Foundation and the team of pediatric oncology experts, advocates, policy and lawmakers, along with health insurers and accrediting associations, will work to encourage the rapid adoption of the Standards in clinical sites throughout the country. Learn more at www.mattiemiracle.com.

Mattie Miracle Cancer Foundation is a 501(c)3 Public Charity dedicated to increasing childhood cancer awareness, education, advocacy, research and psychosocial support services to children, their families, and medical personnel. Children and their families will be supported throughout the cancer treatment journey, to ensure access to quality psychosocial and mental health care, and to enable children to cope with cancer so they can lead happy and productive lives.

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