Ryno Kid Care

The Story of Ryno Kid Care
In a hospital room, Ryne Sandberg saw a child's eyes brighten because some baseball players came to visit. He learned this was a child who hadn't been out of bed for months. Ryno (as he is known to Chicago Cubs fans) was traveling with the Cubs Caravan making goodwill visits around the Chicago region.
He saw that, although the doctors and nurses devoted themselves to treating children's illnesses, much more could be done, both inside and outside the hospital, to lift children's spirits and sustain their despairing families at a time when everyday life was turned upside down.
Ryno and his wife, Margaret, saw the same vision as Mark Shaker, a social work professional. After experiencing the needs of the children in hospitals and their families, Mark worked with hospital staffs to create a program that has grown to include a vast array of services. It impacts hundreds of people a month with the aid of an army of supporters, such as...
There is not a program comparable to Ryno Kid Care in the Chicago area. We are able to impact more than 700 individuals each month by offering our vast array of services to a wide variety of pediatric illness populations.
It may be parents receiving a home cooked meal from someone they have never met, a child laughing for the first time in weeks from the antics of a CircEsteem M.D. entertainer, siblings gathering for a monthly creative art workshop, or several parents gathering for a weekly coffee support group.
Children find reasons to smile and develop bonds through mentors and pen pals. Their siblings discover that there are other children out there facing the same issues of guilt, isolation, and anger by connecting with others in our monthly activities.
Caregivers are able to reduce stress and anxiety through a variety of methods. And, most important, they are able to better focus on the well-being of the sick child because Ryno Kid Care is able to minimize their day-to-day stressors.