The Live Like Luke Fund at CFT was founded to honor the life and legacy of Luke William Childs, a brave six-year-old who faced a year-long battle against acute myeloid leukemia with courage and a joy that continues to inspire beyond his lifetime. Luke’s parents, Beth and Derek Childs, established the fund after Luke’s passing in 2021 to help families with children undergoing long-term hospital stays, providing financial relief so parents can focus on what matters most — being present and there for their children during such a difficult time.
“While pursuing treatment for Luke, we witnessed firsthand the physical, emotional, and financial pressure impacting other patient families living in the rooms all around us,” said Beth. “It was heart-wrenching.” It was common for them to see young children alone in their hospital rooms because their parents could not afford to miss work. Parents are often forced to quit their jobs to be with their children during the intense medical treatment of their diseases.
“There are so many unexpected challenges when navigating long-term illnesses. We knew we had to do something to help.” Derek added, “Bills don’t stop just because your child is in the hospital. The amount of stress some families experience while navigating illness is unimaginable. We don’t want families to have to make choices between being able to be there for a loved one in the hospital or working a shift to keep the lights on at home.”
Since its founding, the Live Like Luke Fund has distributed over $150,000 to support critical expenses like car repairs, groceries, gas, and rent and mortgage payments. “This fund is really about giving families more time together,” said Derek. “Each extra day together with Luke was priceless for us.”
While many of the families supported by the fund are navigating childhood cancer, they have also helped those with Sickle Cell Disease, Bacterial Meningitis, complicated heart surgeries, organ transplants, and more.
The community has rallied around the Live Like Luke Fund in honor of Luke’s memory and to help families in need by hosting or supporting creative fundraising events, including an annual “Splash” bash in their neighborhood celebrating Luke’s birthday and a “Legs for Luke” run.
“We’ve seen so many people coming together through Luke’s legacy. We’re not just looking to make a difference today — we want to ensure that this fund continues to support families for years to come,” says Derek. As the fund grows, the couple hopes to be able to create an endowment that will sustain the effort long-term.
“We couldn’t ask for a better partner than Communities Foundation of Texas for this. They efficiently manage donations and disbursements, and their expertise has made it possible for us to help even more families while making it easy for our family, friends, and the public to give,” said Derek.
Luke’s legacy lives on not only through the fund, but also through his family, including his siblings, Jacob, who was three when Luke was diagnosed, and June, who was born a week after Luke passed away.
“Knowing we can give back in a way that Luke would have been appreciative and supportive of, and that Jacob and June can be a part of, has helped our grieving process,” said Beth, recalling how Luke faced his illness with remarkable positivity and bravery. “Even in his six short years, he had such a lightness and brightness. Luke’s ability to find joy, no matter what he was going through, is something we will always treasure and try to emulate,” said Beth.
“We can all learn from Luke. Though Luke’s time on earth was cut achingly short, the lesson he taught us as he bravely fought his battle with cancer endures. We believe if we wake up every day with the intention of living the way Luke lived, we can live in a better world.”– Beth Childs, Co-Founder, Live Like Luke Fund at CFT
Learn more about the Live Like Luke Fund
Donate to the Live Like Luke Fund at CFT
This story was originally featured in our 2024 annual report. For additional details and content, click here.