Greek Organization in U.S. Helping Children with Cancer

For the past thirty years, a Greek organization by the name of The Greek Children’s Fund, has been Helping Greek and Cypriot children suffering from cancer and seeking treatment in Hospitals and Medical centers in the U.S. The Greek Children’s Fund was founded in 1983, by ex-patriot Stanley Matthews.

Mr.  Matthews’ daughter, Catherine, suffered from leukemia back in December 1979, but managed to recover. The illness of Mr. Matthews’ daughter, triggered the initiation of the Greek Children’s Fund. “After Catherine’s health incident, I realized that besides the pain and agony that our family has gone through, many Greek families do not only have to endure the deadly nature of the disease, but also, the costly expense of the treatment. Treatment is not something that everyone can afford,” stated Mr. Matthews at ANA-MPA, one day before the celebration event for the organization’s 30 years in action.

According to Mr. Matthews, thousands of children from Greece and Cyprus suffering from cancer have received aid from the Greek Children’s Fund. The organization took the responsibility of covering many basic needs of the children such as paying the subsistence cost for them and also covering costs for their families for as long as they stay in New York or other cities in the U.S. The amount that has already been spent for this purpose is more than 7 million dollars.

The Greek-American businessman owns (along with his brothers) a chain of restaurants in the state of New Jersey. He was born in a village situated in Lakonia, Greece.

The Greek Children’s Fund has been based in Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center since it’s founding. Mr. Matthews said that the organization is able to carry out its function through money that is raised by events, subsidies, and some years back, by telethons.