Purpose-driven Toy Brand Melissa & Doug And Jack & Jill Late Stage Cancer Foundation Partner To Bring Wow! To Young Late Stage Cancer Families

Partnership provides cherished, indispensable family memories to children who are facing the imminent loss of a parent

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Jun 24, 2021, 09:00 ET

ATLANTA, June 24, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- The Jack & Jill Late Stage Cancer Foundation (JAJF) today announced its partnership with beloved toy brand, Melissa & Doug, to bring joy to families facing the terminal illness of a parent. JAJF, a national 501(c)(3) nonprofit, treats children facing the looming loss of their young Mom or Dad to cancer to WOW! Experiences®— a prescribed timeout as part of treatment protocol together as a family away from their late stage cancer — to create positive, cherished, (indispensable) memories . . . while they can.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, JAJF could not fly families to WOW! destinations such as New York City, Florida, Nashville, San Diego, and Hawaii. The foundation had to pivot. Enter Melissa & Doug.

Melissa & Doug helps JAJF bring the WOW! to each young family prescribed a timeout from cancer. In fact, Melissa & Doug has become the "official toy company of WOW!" by providing care packages of its timeless toys to families in need of an uplifting experience of surprise and delight.

When cancer strikes a parent, the whole family is affected profoundly. Melissa & Doug supports JAJF in its belief that these children and families deserve a timeout to connect in playful ways that can be experienced and captured as lasting memories. It's about providing opportunities for fun times together now that can become sources of comfort later.

"We are honored our toys play a part in putting smiles on the faces of families going through such a challenging experience," says Fernando Mercé, CEO of Melissa & Doug.

Across the United States, oncologists are prescribing JAJF as part of the treatment protocol for young parents diagnosed with late-stage cancer. Treating the families as well as the cancer has been described as vital "preventative care," addressing the psychosocial health of the children, caregiving spouse, and the parent (patient).

"You rarely see or hear the word 'family' in descriptions about cancer care," says Jon Albert, JAJF's Founder. "These children and families benefit greatly from a timeout to truly connect with one another in a positive and fun way. It's an essential part of their treatment. For most families facing constant chemo and radiation treatment, this is their first chance to gain a sense of normalcy away from cancer in years and is the primary reason oncologists value and praise the impact of JAJF and Melissa & Doug as immeasurable.

"We call it the POWER OF WOW! Melissa & Doug calls it the POWER OF PLAY! Together, we can't be more proud and inspired when we see the joy and smiles," says Albert. "Family after sweet young family, smile after wonderful, happy smile, the joy says it all."

Melissa & Doug and JAJF look forward to continuing to partner to help families create cherished, special moments during such vulnerable times.

About JAJF
As a national 501(c)(3) public charity, JAJF operates with the support of generous donors, corporate partners, and oncologists. Since 2006, JAJF has provided WOW! Experiences® and thousands of smiles (and joy) to children and their Moms and Dads across the United States.

About Melissa & Doug
From classic wooden toys to crafts and pretend play, Melissa & Doug products provide a launch pad to ignite imagination and a sense of wonder in all children so they can discover their passions and their purpose. Melissa & Doug is proudly partnering with the American Academy of Pediatrics to foster early brain development and to champion the health benefits of open-ended play through their joint Power of Play alliance.

SOURCE Melissa & Doug