Friends of Karen provides vital, practical and comprehensive support, at no cost, to families caring for a child with a life-threatening illness. “When parents of a terminally or catastrophically ill child receive financial and emotional help, The mission of Friends of Karen is to provide emotional, financial and advocacy support for children with a life-threatening illness like cancer, and their families, to help them remain stable, functioning, and able to cope. Friends of Karen serves families living in the New York City, Long Island, the Hudson Valley region, Northern New Jersey and southern Connecticut. It offers its lifeline of support services, at no cost to families, so they have fewer worries and more time to care for the ill child. Friends of Karen's social workers, child life specialists and creative arts therapists provide services tailored to each family for the duration of the child's treatment. Better Business Bureau Accredited Charity.