This is such a great story about helping children fighting cancer realize that they are not alone in the journey. And it all started with a young man named Oliver and a request from his father on social media. 

When Oliver Burkhardt underwent leukemia treatment at age 9, he’d enter the hospital wearing his patch-covered denim jacket. Pokemon. Superman. NASA. Police, fire, military. Classic rock bands. About 50 patches sewn on by his parents, selected from thousands sent by well-wishers worldwide after his dad made a social media request.

The jacket became Oliver’s suit of armor, deflecting his disease — and the nasty side effects of his treatment. It sparked conversations with nurses. His parents decorated their own jackets, showing they are a team. The patches made Oliver feel special.

“I knew people were looking out for me, they gave me positive vibes, that people loved me,” said Oliver, now 13 and in remission.

Seeing how the jacket and its patches helped Oliver, he and his parents, Brian Burkhardt and Trisha Brookbank, thought other kids battling cancer might like one, too. The couple, who come from art backgrounds, reached out to their designer friends and within a day received 300 renderings for possible patches.

The Oliver Patch Project was born.

Three years after launching, the charity has provided more than 1,600 children from infancy to 19 years with either a free denim jacket or tote bag. They are adorned with 20 patches selected by the child or parents from the program’s website, then each month they receive another patch in the mail.

“This program is 100% about empowering the kids and making them feel like they belong to a much bigger community, that they are not alone,” said Brian, a former creative director who now runs the charity full-time. “It’s not really about the patch, it’s about belonging.”

Parents also receive a box of 13 milestone patches to gift their child while they’re undergoing a common cancer treatment or experiencing a side effect. A gorilla for starting chemo. A bald eagle for hair loss. A polar bear for fever. They help alleviate some of the trauma as the child works toward the “I Rang the Bell” patch for completing a round of treatment.