Our Work

We provide comfort to young adults fighting cancer

Making Someone’s Day a Little Better

We can’t cure cancer. We can’t make everything go back to normal. The Matt Cook Foundation strives to make things a little better for young adult in-patients fighting cancer, and a little better for their families as well.

We know that a young adult with cancer has an entirely different experience than a child or an older adult with cancer: the videos, toys and distractions of the children’s hospital are off limits, and they find themselves in a minority, in unfamiliar territory, thrust into an environment with older adults with different needs.  The people we serve find themselves in limbo, because of their age.

So we’re not trying to cure cancer, we’re just trying to make someone’s day a little better. We want to give people something they can focus on, besides being sick.

MCF Cares Package

Our main initiative is the Matt Cook Foundation Cares Package. Each package is filled with the stuff Matt needed when he was in the hospital. These items helped Matt stay connected with his friends and family, comforted him during treatment, and helped him pass the time.

What’s in each package?

  • Travel bag: A suitcase to carry everything in, so it’s easy to get your stuff in and out of the hospital for treatment. Plus, it’s got wheels in case you’ve lost some of your strength.
  • Soft warm blanket: Way better than what’s at the hospital, our soft warm blanket can go from hospital bed to your couch at home and keep you warm and comfortable.
  • iPad: Keep in touch with your friends and family through email, Skype, Facebook, your choice. Plus play games, watch Netflix, listen to music, read books, magazines, whatever you like.
  • Studio Beats headphones: Play your music, movies and games as loud as you like and tune out the world when you need to.
  • iTunes cards: We want you to be able to enjoy your favorite music, apps and games with your iPad , so we put iTunes gift cards into our care packages.
  • Flashlight: Matt found that a flashlight was helpful when staying overnight as an inpatient, and we think you will too.   Find what you need in the dark, read at night, get to the bathroom, you name it.
  • Journal: Keep track of your treatment, make a record, write down your thoughts.
  • Skip the Dishes: A Skip the Dishes gift card is a great way to escape hospital food and potentially have your friends over for dinner!

We need your help

Your help lets us continue to comfort a vulnerable young adult population that has fallen through a gap, and to do more in the future.

Donate Now

Host a Matt Cook Foundation Event