Cancer kills more children in the U.S. than any other disease.
Four Diamonds is on a mission to change this reality.
The Four Diamonds mission is to conquer childhood cancer by assisting children and their families through superior care, comprehensive support and innovative research.
Four Diamonds covers 100 percent of all medical expenses related to cancer care not covered by insurance for eligible Four Diamonds children. Because of the community’s steady and generous support, Four Diamonds has assisted 100 percent of the childhood cancer patients who have been treated at Penn State Health Children’s Hospital.
Since its creation in 1972, Four Diamonds has helped more than 4,000 children and families and supported a diverse platform of childhood cancer research at Penn State Hershey Medical Center and Penn State College of Medicine, seeking improved treatments and cures to benefit kids around the world.
Penn State Health Children’s Hospital was again recognized as one of the top 50 hospitals in the nation for childhood cancer care. The Children’s Hospital was also recognized for four other specialties in U.S. News & World Report’s 2021-22 rankings.
Meet our Four Diamonds families and join the fight to conquer childhood cancer.
Christopher Millard was 11 years old when he was first diagnosed with cancer. Shortly before he lost his three-year battle with cancer, he wrote a story about a great knight who sought out the four diamonds of courage, wisdom, honesty and strength, in order to be released from the grips of an evil sorceress. These diamonds symbolized the attributes that Christopher’s family believed were necessary to overcome cancer. Read Christopher’s Story.
In honor of their son, Christopher’s parents, Charles and Irma Millard, founded Four Diamonds to assist children and their families in the fight against childhood cancer. Through Four Diamonds, Chris Millard and his legendary story live on and serve as an inspiration for children and their families fighting cancer.
Four Diamonds and Penn State Health Milton S. Hershey Medical Center entered into a charter with the mission of conquering childhood cancer by assisting children and their families through superior care, comprehensive support and innovative research.
Four Diamonds and the Penn State IFC/Panhellenic Dance Marathon (THONTM) united For The Kids® when THON named Four Diamonds the sole beneficiary of all fundraising activities.
To date, THON has raised more than $190 million in the fight to conquer childhood cancer. In 2017, THON and Four Diamonds celebrated 40 years as Partners In The FightTM.
Four Diamonds continues to inspire, empower and activate youth and young adults in the fight to conquer childhood cancer. Since its creation in 1972, Four Diamonds has helped more than 4,000 children and families and supported a diverse platform of childhood cancer research at Penn State Health Children’s Hospital, seeking improved treatments and cures to benefit kids around the world. Learn how we’re inspiring 90,000 students through philanthropy.
Each year, more than 16,000 families in the United States hear “your child has cancer.” Hundreds of those families turn to Penn State Health Children’s Hospital, a nationally recognized leader in pediatric cancer care, to provide world-class treatment for their children.
Four Diamonds also makes it possible for all of these children to receive the exceptional care they need regardless of the cost. Meet some of our incredible Four Diamonds families and hear their stories below, or visit us on Facebook and Instagram.
All of our work is FTK® – For The Kids®. Four Diamonds is committed to improving the health and lives of children fighting cancer today, and those who will fight in the future.
The Pennsylvania State University W-9 Form
Four Diamonds is fiscally strong, thanks to the extraordinary generosity of individual donors, community events, Mini-THON® and THONTM. Four Diamonds has been able to assist 100% of the childhood cancer patients who have been treated at Penn State Health Children’s Hospital.
In 1963, The M.S. Hershey Foundation donated $50 million to The Pennsylvania State University to establish a medical school in Hershey. With this grant and $21.3 million from the U.S. Public Health Service, the University built a medical school, research center and teaching hospital—Penn State Health Milton S. Hershey Medical Center. The University broke ground in 1966, and Penn State College of Medicine opened its doors to students in 1967. Penn State Hershey Medical Center accepted its first patients in 1970.
Since then, Penn State Health Milton S. Hershey Medical Center, Penn State College of Medicine and Penn State Health Children’s Hospital are committed to enhancing the quality of life through improved health, the professional preparation of those who will serve the health needs of others and the discovery of knowledge that will benefit all.
Four Diamonds is an integral part of the delivery of this mission, providing financial support to ensure superior care and comprehensive support to childhood cancer patients and their families, and funding innovative research to learn how childhood cancer forms, how it can be treated and how treatments can be more effective to benefit those around the world. Additionally, Four Diamonds’ commitment to youth leadership and philanthropy through Mini-THON® and THONTM are building future leaders, scientists, medical professionals and philanthropists committed to one common goal: conquering childhood cancer.
We are dedicated to, and accountable for, advancing equity and inclusion in all of its forms. We decry discrimination (personal and systemic) based on age, color, race, national origin, gender, sexual orientation, genetic information, pregnancy and religion.
We echo Penn State’s commitment to disrupting hate and bias whenever and wherever we encounter it, and to creating the most inclusive community that we possibly can – one that is free of bigotry and respects all people equally. We pledge to be actively anti-discriminatory.
On our team, we commit to increasing the representation of those who reflect our nation’s demographics yet are underrepresented in our workforce: Black, Brown and LGBTQ+ people, individuals with disabilities, and those who have military experience. We remain committed to serving our alumni and donors from all backgrounds.
When we say “WE ARE,” we affirm that we’re stronger together and that prejudice has no place if we are to fulfill our mission of pursuing education, research and service for the common good.
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Respect
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Integrity
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Teamwork
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Excellence
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Resources
Four Diamonds engages members of the community to provide support and advice.
Members of our Advisory Board are committed to advancing our mission to conquer childhood cancer.
JAYSON WOLFGANG
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PAM TURNER
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CHARLES & IRMA MILLARD
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JENNIFER MOYER
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STACIA MILLARD BIRD
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PHILIP BRENCKLE
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CHRISTOPHER COCORES
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MATT DESOTO
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MARCIA PERRY DIX
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JASON HEATH
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MICHAEL BECK, M.D.
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RICK JORDAN III
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JUSTIN KUNKEL
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MEG KUTZ
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ED MARSICO
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LISA MCGREGOR, M.D., PH.D.
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BETH PEIFFER
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CHRISTY PIERCE
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KATE COLGAN
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NADINE WAXENBERG
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| MICHAEL BECK, M.D. |
Interim Chair, Department of Pediatrics
Penn State Health Children’s Hospital
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| LISA MCGREGOR, M.D., PH.D. |
Interim Chief, Division of Pediatric Hematology and Oncology
Professor of Pediatrics
Penn State Health Children’s Hospital and Penn State College of Medicine
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The External Scientific Advisory Board provides peer review for our cancer research.
| KATHLEEN M. SAKAMOTO, M.D., PH.D. |
Professor and Chief, Division of Hematology/Oncology |
Stanford University School of Medicine |
| SETH COREY, M.D., M.P.H. |
Sharon Murphy-Steven Rosen Professor of Cancer Biology and Chemotherapy |
Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine |
