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Those who contributed in the past year to Emily’s Kids in memory of Southeast High School graduate Emily Field , who died last November, funded $4,000 in gas cards and $800 in hospital parking passes for the families of young cancer patients.

The nearly $15,000 raised since the endowment was set up by Emily’s family at Brenner Children’s Hospital doesn’t pay hospital bills. But it did provide $600 in meal vouchers and $720 in Walmart gift cards for such necessities as prescriptions, according to a hospital accounting of the money.

Emily’s family is set to unveil a nonprofit foundation this weekend to expand the effort to pediatric oncology units at other children’s hospitals in the state.

“We’re there to do a simple thing, to just relieve some of the stress off the families,” said Craig Field , Emily’s father. “That mom and dad should not have to worry about putting gas in their tank to go visit their kid in the hospital.”

Out-of-pocket costs can be distracting and even serious worries for families involved in treatment.

Emily ended up at Brenner after a nagging back pain was diagnosed as cancer right before the high school athlete and shoe fashionista’s Christmas break in 2007 . Ewing’s sarcoma, a rare and aggressive form of cancer, had begun to spread to Emily’s liver and lymph nodes and was in her bones.

After seeing how money affected the ability of some families to visit children in the cancer unit at Brenner, which is part of the Wake Forest University Baptist Medical Center , Emily wanted to use donations given to her to help families get out of the parking deck or to pay for the cost of meals. Emily’s longest stay was 43 days — which is not an uncommon length.

“I was up there the other day, and the nurses came out and said, 'What you are doing here is making an impact on people,’” Craig Field said.

The doctors help determine how the money is spent.

“We tend to give it to folks who are in particular financial straits or on a long stretch in the hospital, where one or both parents is out of work, where there is a poor prognosis for the child. Really there are a lot of scenarios because it’s available for all of our families, and they all go through something,” said Jeff Ungetheim of the children’s cancer support program .

Emily died Nov. 22, 2008, and her parents buried her where her paternal grandparents rest — an unplanned spot between plots that had been purchased for her parents.

“I’m impressed that the Fields have been able to do this — to turn their grief into something positive that’s helping other people,” said pediatric oncologist Dr. Thomas McLean , one of Emily’s primary doctors . “They probably still have hospital bills to pay themselves. It has benefited many, many, many of our families and patients.”

Efforts to raise money for the Emily’s Kids Fund will continue to help families of children in treatment at Brenner .

Donations to the new Emily’s Kids Foundation will go to families in treatment at Brenner but also another six pediatric oncology units across the state, including those at UNC-Chapel Hill and Duke University hospitals.

“You hear of other kids in the community doing their bone marrow treatment at one of the other places,” said Tammy Field, Emily’s mother . “And the families of kids all around North Carolina need that help.”

The foundation will require continued fundraising. The Fields have been working with Brenner and state officials on a possible license tag denoting Brenner, with the percentage of sales going into the Emily’s Kids fund there. The General Assembly would have to approve it.

“It’s gone beyond what she might have envisioned,” Tammy Field said. “I think she would be really proud, and she would say, 'We really did it! I was really concerned about those kids.’ ”

Contact Nancy McLaughlin at 373-7049 or nancy.mclaughlin@news-record.com