Dear friends, supporters, and the LOVE, NILS community,

With a full heart, I write to share that LOVE, NILS is concluding its chapter as a registered charity. This decision was made with deep reflection, gratitude, and the desire to honour the incredible legacy that you, our community, helped build.

LOVE, NILS was born from a promise I made to my son, Nils, during his cancer journey at National University Hospital (NUH) in Singapore: that no child or family facing paediatric cancer would have to walk that road alone. What began as a small effort to fill a painful gap in care, the need for psychosocial and emotional support, became a nationally recognized charity offering impactful programs across three major hospitals in Singapore.

With no seed funding, we began with volunteers: high school students piloting art and education support programs. Over time, we reached hundreds of families through initiatives like Shine A Light, caregiver support, pen pal programs, and Calendar of Hope event experiences. We brought joy, comfort, and community to children, teens, caregivers, and siblings navigating a world they never chose but faced with immense courage.

We’ve come full circle. LOVE, NILS began at NUH, where we created and funded the very first paediatric oncology Care Coordinator role. Now, as we close, every remaining financial asset of LOVE, NILS will be gifted back to NUH to ensure that this role continues long into the future.

This Care Coordinator position is more than a job; it’s a lifeline. We knew this from the beginning. That’s why LOVE, NILS formalized it with an MOU with NUH, a pledge to embed holistic care within the clinical framework. It is a promise fulfilled.

The caretakers of this mission, our board of directors, have served faithfully as the custodians of LOVE, NILS. Their devotion, guidance, and strategic leadership sustained us through growth, crisis, and change. I want to thank each of them for ensuring we stayed grounded, impactful, and accountable. I also want to thank our extraordinary staff, whose unwavering commitment, talent, and compassion brought our mission to life every single day.

To our partners at NUH, KKH, and Mount Alvernia: thank you for welcoming us into your hospitals and trusting us with your patients. To our donors, corporate sponsors, and volunteers, from 4-year-olds writing pen pal letters to professionals leading science camps, your gifts of time, love, and funding made the impossible possible.

And to the children and parents who hugged me, smiled through tears, and whispered “thank you” when words failed. It was your love that carried me forward. You reminded me that LOVE, NILS was never mine alone. It belonged to all of us.

Though the charity will close, its spirit, Nils’ spirit, lives on in every child still being supported by the Care Coordinator we helped establish. This was always about more than programs or KPIs. It was about people. Healing. Dignity. And love.

Thank you, from the depths of my heart.

With love and gratitude,
Lesli Berggren

Founder, LOVE, NILS

LOVE, NILS Program Archive and Legacy Work

As LOVE, NILS concludes operations, we are no longer accepting donations.

Please consider donating to the NUH Children’s Fund (a sub-fund of NUHS Fund) which supports financially disadvantaged NUHS paediatric patients (note: this supports NUHS children patients of all health conditions). The donation link can be found here: giving.sg: Campaign detail – NUH Children’s Fund.