GSK donates $500,000 to Philadelphia Children's Hospital Cancer Center

PHILADELPHIA — Drug maker GlaxoSmithKline's philanthropic arm has donated $500,000 to the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia as part of a fund that provides assistance to families for travel and living expenses they may incur while their children are enrolled in experimental or novel treatments offered at the hospital's Cancer Center.

The GSK Foundation made the donation as part of its Hope for Families Fund, a permanent endowment it established with a $1 million gift in 2008 that helps children and young adults with relapsed cancers gain access to the new therapies offered at the hospital, helping financially eligible families cover airfare and ground transportation, lodging and meals. Many families using the fund are low-income or one-income families, who have come from 20 U.S. states and six foreign countries.

"Financial burdens such as missed time from work, airfare and other expenses can really take a big toll on a family dealing with cancer," GSK Oncology president Paolo Paoletti said. "Through the GSK Hope for Families Fund, our goal is to alleviate some of the financial burden so that families can focus on helping their child get well."