Melissa Gilbert
In a perfect world the words "Children" and "Hospice" would never go together, but unfortunately for many families, it is a painful reality.

Three years ago, in my role as President of the Screen Actors Guild, I met a little boy named Dustin whose body was ravaged by cancer and who dreamed of being an actor. It was an incredible honor for me to visit Dustin in the hospital to present him with his honorary SAG card. When I said to him, "Dustin, it is now official.you are an actor!" his smile melted my heart. He told me to always remember that "Today is a gift...have fun."

From that moment, my life changed. Dustin died two weeks later.

Dustin's message is a touchstone for all of us. We have created a beautiful bracelet in his memory which bears his poignant words, "Today is a gift...have fun." These bracelets are being worn in memory of Dustin, "the little boy who wanted to be an actor" by Hollywood celebrities like Johnny Depp, Hilary Swank, Jeremy Piven, Tom Hanks, Mandy Moore and many others. 100% of the proceeds of all our memorial bracelets go directly to Children’s Hospice & Palliative Care Coalition.

Now, as President of the Board of Directors of Children's Hospice & Palliative Care Coalition I have taken on the charge of bringing national attention to the growing movement to improve care for children with life-threatening conditions and their families.

Through this work I have had the honor of meeting so many children whose wisdom and courage inspire me daily. I hope you will join me in making sure that when a child has a serious illness, they have access to compassionate, family-centered care and that when a child dies, they, like Dustin, can live on in our hearts.

To order a bracelet for yourself or as a meaningful gift, click here.

Thank you,

Melissa Gilbert
President of the Board of Directors
Children’s Hospice & Palliative Care Coalition

Check out this video from the Children's Hospice...