AMELIA’S STORY—

Amelia was a healthy and happy four-year-old girl who loved to laugh, play, and sing. She was beautiful, vibrant, smart, and extremely strong-willed. She was known for her mischievous grin and her contagious laughter.

In October 2018, after a random high fever initiated a trip to the ER, Amelia was diagnosed with stage IV kidney cancer. After a failed surgery to remove the kidney and mass, we discovered that Amelia’s form of cancer was, in fact, a malignant rhabdoid tumor: a very rare, aggressive form of pediatric cancer more commonly diagnosed in children two-years-old and under.

Amelia underwent surgery and five months of intense chemotherapy, all while maintaining her strong sense of determination and silly personality. Unfortunately, in March 2019, after a very rapid decline in her health, Amelia’s battle came to an end. Although her time on Earth was brief, Amelia inspired thousands of people — she reminded us all to appreciate the little things, to never take life too seriously, and to spread love whenever possible.

OUR MISSION—

Primary goal

Our mission at the Amelia M. Sharer Foundation is to help ensure that no child experiences a delay in emergency medical transportation due to a lack of insurance or a family’s inability to pay.

This mission is particularly close to the foundation’s heart, as Amelia initially waited for over six hours for ambulance transportation to the Children’s Hospital, due to a temporary lapse in insurance coverage. It wasn’t until an EMS crew two hours away heard of the situation and selflessly offered to transport Amelia at no cost to the family.

When a child is ill and a family is going through this life-altering event, having to worry about EMS transportation should be the last concern. Our goal is to help alleviate that burden in any way possible.

Our foundation will be working closely with Southern Alleghenies EMS Council, who oversee EMS services in Bedford, Blair, Cambria, Fulton, Huntingdon, and Somerset counties, to provide grants that will cover the cost of ambulance transportation for uninsured children. By issuing funds directly to SAEMS, local EMS crews are able to accept requests for transportation of uninsured children, then bill SAEMS rather than the patient.