Comfort the Sick
When you’re well, it’s easy to take your health for granted.
All us of battle common viruses like the flu or a stomach bug. But some people are battling serious diseases. Just like you want to be cared for when you’re feeling unwell, you can do the same for people fighting major illnesses.
Ready to Make a Difference?
Check out our Activity Finder to find ways to help near you or projects you can do from home.
Create an account so you can favorite activities and track your impact.
Keep reading to learn about facts, how you can help, our nonprofit partners, recommended books to read, additional resources, and lesson plans.
Did you know…
36 million+ Americans go to the hospital every year. (3 million are kids.)
1.8 million+ Americans are diagnosed with cancer every year.
Grief and depression are common in people with life-threatening illnesses.
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How can you help?
You don’t have to be a doctor to help the sick in your community feel a lot better.
- Make a joke book. Mental health and physical health go hand-in-hand, and laughter can be the best medicine for a lot of people. Learn more.
- Give a card. Sometimes just knowing someone is thinking about you is enough to lift your spirits. Get started.
- Help their families. Illness doesn’t just affect the sick person; it affects their whole family. Give time or space to families who are visiting a loved one in the hospital. See how.
- Find a cause you love. Pick an issue or project in your community that speaks to you – and speak up. Start your search now.
- Deliver a meal. When you’re sick and at home, even something as simple as making a meal can be impossible. Deliver a homemade meal, and make someone’s day a little easier. Start cooking.
Our Nonprofit Partners
These are just a few of the inspiring partners we work with to comfort the sick:
Boston
This group provides short-term, volunteer housing to families visiting sick loved ones at the hospital.
International
Not every country has access to the medical care we do. Mending Kids helps bring this level of care to kids around the world.
National
This group delivers small boxes meant to entertain and lift the spirits of kids in the hospital.
The Bay Area
From groceries to babysitting to help with transportation, they give support services to families facing a medical crisis.
Recommended Reading List
Want to comfort the sick in your community? Sometimes the best first step is understanding how someone with a major illness feels. As an Amazon Associate Project Giving Kids earns a small commission from qualifying purchases. *
Elementary
by Joyce Mills
by Jim Boulden
by Charlotte Hudson
by Patrice Karst
Maximo and the Big C: A tale of courage and compassion
by Viji Venkatesh
Middle School
by Paul Mosier
by Tom Avery
by John Green
by Margaret Peterson Haddix
Drums, Girls, and Dangerous Pie
by Jordan Sonnenbuck
High School
by Jodi Picoult
Grace: A Child’s Intimate Journey Through Cancer and Recovery
by Melinda Marchiano
by Rachael Lippincott
by Dr. Kelsey Crowe and Emily McDowell
by Nicola Yoon
Additional Online Resources
Interested in learning more? Check out these organizations and their websites for more information!
Going to the Hospital
What’s it like to go to the hospital? Get an overview of what the experience might look like. Read more.
Big Batch Recipes
For people and families dealing with a medical crisis, cooking might be the last thing on their mind. Make it easy with meals they can freeze and eat all week long. Just always be sure to ask about what they’re allergic to or can’t eat. Here are some ideas.
Caring Bridge
Looking to provide support to a loved one or friend during their illness? Find resources here that make it easy to help.
*The books, websites, charities, and/or other entities we share does not imply explicit endorsement by PGK, nor does PGK have any responsibility for the content provided by other organizations or websites. Content on this site is provided for informational purposes only.
Educational Materials
Teachers and parents can teach kids about helping animals in the classroom or at home with our educational materials.
Choose the grade level below to find a lesson plan.
Elementary School Lesson Plan
Overview
This lesson will focus on the needs and feelings of people with long term illnesses and how best to comfort them.
Objectives
- Students will discuss the needs and feelings of people with long term illnesses
- Students will reflect on ways to comfort sick people and complete a project to demonstrate their understanding
Middle School Lesson Plan
Overview
Students will explore the feelings of isolation experienced by those battling long-term illness, focusing on factors that contribute to isolation and ways to provide comfort and support through connection.
Objectives
- Students will explore feelings of isolation among those who are battling long term illness
- Students will reflect on ways to comfort and support people who are sick through connection
High School Lesson Plan
Overview
Students will explore “illness intelligence” with regards to people battling a long term illness or facing a health crisis. Students will determine which phrases and actions are beneficial and which are harmful when trying to comfort sick people and support their families.
Objectives
- Students will explore illness intelligence
- Students will examine phrases and actions to avoid as well as those that are most beneficial when offering comfort and support to sick people and their families