General Resources
Miracle Flights provides free commercial airline tickets to pediatric patients ages 17 and under in need of life-changing medical care far from home. Families must meet certain requirements and apply online using the online application for requesting each flight.
The organization also provides flights for service dog retrieval and/or training. Miracle Flights’ service dog program is open to all individuals who need help retrieving/training their service dog.
For questions, please contact Miracle Flights by calling (800) 359-1711 or emailing communications@miracleflights.org.
Mother’s Milk Bank of the Western Great Lakes
Mothers’ Milk Bank of the Western Great Lakes provides safe, pasteurized donor human milk to premature and critically ill babies.
Milk Bank WGL also supports moms who donate milk after loss and distributes reduced-cost or free donor milk to chronically ill middle and low-income children.
This non-profit organization serves over 75 hospitals and hundreds of families throughout Illinois and Wisconsin. Use the locator tool to find a Milk Depot near you.
Northern Illinois Food Bank has launched My Pantry Express, an online source for groceries. The program allows families in need of food assistance to choose specific grocery items and pick them up at a preferred participating location.
Pickup locations are available in the following counties: DeKalb, DuPage, Lake, Will, Winnebago.
National Alliance for Caregiving
The National Alliance for Caregiving (NAC) is a non-profit coalition of national organizations providing research, advocacy and innovation to make life better for family caregivers. The Alliance’s research, programs and resources include:
- Guidebooks including its Circle of Care Guidebook for Caregivers of Children with Rare and/or Serious Illnesses
- Stories from caregivers nationwide
- Research, data and reports focusing on different aspects of caregivers
- Advocacy and policy initiatives
For questions, please contact NAC at info@caregiving.org or (202)918-1013.
National Alliance for Children’s Grief (NACG)
The National Alliance for Children’s Grief (NACG) raises awareness about the needs of children and teens who are grieving a death and provides education and resources for anyone who supports them. NACG resources include:
- Webinars and continuing education
- Family portal and peer networking
- A search tool for finding local support centers or camps
For questions, contact NACG at (866) 432-1542 or info@nacg.org.
National Center on Deafblindness
The National Center on Deafblindness (NCDB) is a national technical assistance center that works with state deafblind projects and other partners to improve educational outcomes and quality of life for children ages 0 -21 who are deafblind and their families. NCDB focuses on national initiatives and provides resources in key areas, including:
- Identification and referral
- Family engagement
- Transition to adulthood
- Factsheets, websites, articles, videos and other resources
- Increasing availability of qualified early intervention (EI) providers, teachers and service professionals
- State Deafblind projects
If you have any questions or need help, please fill out the online form on NCDB’s website.
National Federation of Families Toolkits and Resources
The National Federation of Families (NFF) is a national family-run organization focusing on the issues of families whose loved ones experience mental health and/or substance use disorders during their lifetime. NFF offers family and caregiver toolkits on a variety of topics, peer support, educational resources, webinars, activities and more.
National Library Service for the Blind and Print Disabled (NLS)
The National Library Service for the Blind and Print Disabled (NLS) is a free braille and talking book library service for individuals with temporary or permanent low vision, blindness, or a physical or perceptual disability that prevents them from reading or holding the printed page. Through a national network of cooperating libraries, NLS offers books in braille or audio, which can be mailed to your door for free or downloaded instantly.
NLS works to ensure that all may read by providing eligible individuals with access to reading materials, regardless of age, economic circumstances, or technical expertise.
For questions, please contact (888) 657-7323 and follow the prompts or email nls@loc.gov.
National Paralysis Resource Center
The National Paralysis Resource Center (NPRC), operated by the Christopher and Dana Reeve Foundation, seeks to improve the quality of life for people living with paralysis through grants, information and advocacy. The NPRC assists people as they navigate through the various stages of their recovery after the diagnosis of paralysis.
NPRC offers free tips and information on health, costs and insurance, choosing a wheelchair, home and travel, and help for caregivers. NPRC also offers:
- Information specialists
- Peer and family support programs
- Updates on advocacy/policy initiatives
- A program for veterans and current service members
If you have questions, please email Peer@ChristopherReeve.org.
National Parent & Youth Helpline
Offers emotional support from a trained advocate to help you become an empowered and stronger parent. Parent advocates can offer emotional support, help you problem-solve, connect you with local resources, help you explore new resources and more.
The National Parent & Youth Helpline is available for those seeking immediate support and guidance 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
For help anytime, visit the National Parent & Youth Helpline website to chat or complete the online form, or call or text (855) 427-2736.