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Kiersten Hickman-Perfetti lost her life at age 22 to Alveolar Rhabdomyosarcoma, a rare form of pediatric cancer. While fighting her own cancer for three-and-a-half years, Kier helped younger children and adolescents who were being treated for cancer in The Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia as much as she could. Kier would spend time talking to, playing with and encouraging younger children and adolescents.

Helping these children became a major focus of the last years of Kier’s life. A year before she died, Kier came up with the idea of Kier’s Kidz and set into motion with the help of her parents the development of this NJ nonprofit.

Kier’s Kidz then is the legacy of love and hope that Kier left for children, adolescents and young adults with cancer, a legacy that she asked all of us to carry on for her after she died.

For several years after Kier died, Kier’s Kidz raised money for other nonprofits that helped children with cancer. In 2012 Kier’s Kidz became a 501(c)(3) federal-designated NJ nonprofit, and since then we have been able to directly fund children, adolescents and young adults and their families.

Since 2012 our primary missions have been to help children, adolescents and young adults with cancer, to fund cancer treatment and research, and to engage college, high school and younger students in philanthropic activities and in otherwise not available educational activities.

We help by offering financial support for living expenses in cases of verified need. Typically, we help pay expenses up to $500. We can also identify other national and NJ nonprofits and other resources that may be supportive.

We Fund Pediatric Cancer Research

We partner with Rutgers Cancer Institute of New Jersey (CINJ) and the Childhood Cancer Therapy Development Institute (CCTDI) to find more effective treatments and cures for rare pediatric cancers like rhabdomyosarcoma, the cancer that took Kiersten’s life.  We also help with aspects of that research under the supervision of Dr. Charles Keller, the founder and chair of CCTDI.​

Kier’s Kidz continues to help children, adolescent and young adults with cancer by raising money through its end-of-the-year donor campaign and through a myriad of other events and activities.

If you would like to help us with our events, or you have an idea for an event, please contact us. We would love to hear from you.

KIER KIDZ AT RUTGERS EXECUTIVE BOARD & ADVISORS

KIER KIDZ AT WILLIAMS COLLEGE EXECUTIVE BOARD

STUDENT ADVISORS