The Herbie Fund program of SickKids Foundation is intended to help international children to receive necessary surgery in Toronto at SickKids. Over the ensuing decades since its founding, the Herbie Fund has supported medical treatment for hundreds of children from disadvantaged parts of the world, who might never have had the chance to receive the treatment they required to live a healthy and happy life.

Eligibility criteria for Herbie Fund assistance:

• Patients must be less than 17 years old at time of application;
• Treatment must be completed before the patient’s 18th birthday;
• Surgical treatment and care will be carried out only at SickKids in Toronto;
• The required surgery or procedure is not available in the patient’s country of residence, or the required treatment can more effectively be carried out at SickKids by SickKids experts;
• Requested treatment is a one-time surgical treatment only, or a sequential series of surgical treatments that will be completed within an 8 week period;
• The Herbie Medical Review Committee must determine if the treatment required will be life-altering and have a lasting impact for the child undergoing the procedure;
• A responsible doctor in the applicant’s place of residence must be identified and secured, to provide post-operative and follow-up care once the child is discharged from SickKids;
• A Canadian host must be available and willing to accommodate the family (to be arranged and costs covered by VSCAS);
• The applicant and his or her family must return to their home country once discharged from SickKids.