Cancer is the #1 disease-related cause of death for children.  Approximately 1 in 285 children in the United States will be diagnosed with cancer before their 20^th birthday.  My name is Deidre Bembry and I know firsthand when a child is diagnosed with cancer, everything STOPS.  A family’s whole life changes just like that and it does not go back to normal. In 2015 my family formed Keris Kares Incorporated to demonstrate love and charity to families at a time when help from others is critical. We became a nonprofit organization under IRS code 501(c)(3) in 2018.

My daughter, Keris, was a proud kindergarten graduate of Newnan Crossing Elementary School.  She was a vibrant and faithful child who bravely battled a rare form of pediatric brain cancer, Diffuse Intrinsic Pontine Glioma (DIPG), from the age of 4 until she transitioned at 6.  Our driving motivation is to pay it forward and bless other hurting families the same way the community blessed Keris and our family. 

Keris Kares Incorporated puts our donation dollars to work through our multiple outreach initiatives. Detailed below are the ways we’ve KARED for families and KONNECTED with communities since 2018:

1.     The Keris Kares Family Emergency Fund pays non-medical bills for families with a child battling a cancer diagnosis and we’ve paid over $318,000 in expenses for 304 families.   

2.     The Food for Families Program replenishes snacks monthly at the Ronald McDonald Family Room and serves meals to families receiving long-term cancer Kare at the Children’s Hospital of Atlanta (CHOA).

3.     The Keris Kares 4 the Arts Program donates art supplies to all Coweta and Fayette County elementary schools and additional schools in surrounding counties throughout the school year.  Keris loved all things art because it allowed her to always express her creativity even while cancer diminished her physical abilities. 

4.     The “Cancer Stops with Me” Brain Cancer Research Initiative financially supports the Georgia Chapter of the Pediatric Brain Tumor Foundation (PBTF) to make an impact on Georgia families.