Halloween has come and gone! This year, like every year, kids around the country experienced the joy of trick-or-treating. As soon as the sky begins to dim, they put on incredible costumes and head out the door with their parents. At the end of the evening, they return with bulging bags full of candy, and stories that will be remembered long after.

For the kids at Compass to Care, Halloween is an opportunity for a taste of normalcy amidst the long road to the cure. Most of the time, they are exposed. Childhood cancer doesn’t just affect the immune system. It can also lay siege to a child’s sense of belonging. Loss of hair, extended absences, lack of physical strength – these can all leave them exposed.

But Halloween offers a kind of inclusion rarely felt. As a rite of passage for so many children, the ability to go trick or treating is powerful. In a strange way, a whacky costume can also help a child melt into the community. Jack, an 8-year-old with Leukemia, dressed as one of his favorite characters from Fortnite. Austin, who is 9 with medulloblastoma, went as Simba. Levi is 12 and has neurofibromatosis. While his costume (seen above) is difficult to describe, it isn’t difficult to see just how much fun he has wearing it.

Not every Compass to Care kid gets even this chance. All sorts of obstacles lay in their path. A sudden fever. Exhaustion from chemo. The risk of infection, due to a weakened immune system. On October 31^st, many of our kids will be trick or treating from the hospital. But with the help of our amazing donors, we can ensure that those who have been left out this year get many, many more opportunities to celebrate Halloween in the future.