Freedom Fundraiser 5K and Kids Dash

Caring for Life (CFL) is a 501(c)3 non-profit volunteer organization providing financial, logistical, and emotional support to families with critically ill children, offering services such as housing near hospitals, travel assistance, and bill payment support. 

CFL started in 1991 by Linda Sivak of Youngsville, PA.  Although Linda did not have a child with medical problems, she recognized the lack of financial and emotional support for families that did have catastrophically or terminally ill children. In 2005, after Lori McNeal assumed the position as the President of CFL and formed a Board of Directors, the mission changed to support seriously ill children as well as catastrophically and terminally ill children so that more families could be offered services.   Since 2005, CFL has registered 81 families and reimbursed families over $454,113 in Warren County.  89 care packages were given to families whose child was flown to a children’s hospital in an emergency.   In 2025, 22 families were reimbursed a total of $27,964.

This year, Freedom Fundraiser 5K and Kids Dash will sponsor Caring for Life so this non-profit organization can continue to help the children and families of Warren County. 

The Phillips family offered to tell their story and how Caring for Life helped them on their journey with their 4-year-old daughter Lucy who had ongoing medical issues. In August 2022, after months of trying to discover the cause of Lucy’s daily intense headaches, Warren General Hospital ER staff performed a CT scan that showed she had a craniopharyngioma tumor.  Craniopharyngiomas occur in approximately .5 to 2 people per million annually and make up 5-10% of all pediatric brain tumors.  They are slowly growing, benign tumors which grow around the pituitary gland.  Due to being engulfed by the tumor, Lucy’s pituitary gland was removed during the tumor extraction.  Lucy, now age 8, lives with hypopituitarism, causing multiple side effects which affect daily life and require multiple daily hormone replacements. While the craniopharyngioma’s benign nature is a positive characteristic, its high rate of recurrence is a negative characteristic which will always be a point of concern for Lucy and her family.  Unfortunately, she is part of the 25-50% of cases of recurrence. Lucy is currently living with her second craniopharyngioma tumor. Lucy underwent gamma knife radiation in February 2025 and saw success with a reduction in tumor size.  While the tumor is currently in a stable state, the Phillips family knows that the nature of it could change at any time.  

Lucy’s family heard about Caring for Life from a friend while she was at Pittsburgh Children’s Hospital for the original tumor removal.  To say that CFL has been a blessing to the family is an understatement.  The organization has helped not only financially but also their everyday lives as well.  Meeting other families that are also experiencing medical struggles as well as families who have made it through the thick of it in their child’s medical journey has been extremely helpful to them. Relief of stress from hospital, hotel, medication, and mail-order pharmacy bill which CFL has provided, made a positive impact.  CFL plans events for families that are involved throughout the year.  These events provide Lucy and her family with entertaining and social experiences which let them step out of the reality of her medical diagnosis.  Lucy’s family is grateful to have connected with CFL.  

They hope the generosity and warmth of the Warren County community continue to shine through by supporting the CFL organization so future families in need can be blessed as they have been.