Our Story: Healing Spaces with National Impact

Designing Dreams is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that transforms the bedrooms of children actively fighting cancer, creating joyful, personalized spaces where they can rest, heal, and just be kids. We work closely with hospital child life specialists and social workers, experts who know their patients best, to identify children who would benefit from extra comfort and care at home. Whether a child is facing extended time in isolation, mobility challenges, relapse, or financial hardship, these trusted hospital partners help us reach those who need a healing space the most. Every room is designed by a professional interior designer and is a reflection of that child’s personality, interests, and strength, offering a space of peace, play, and possibility during a difficult time.

Where It Began
Designing Dreams began in 2013 in Minnesota when a small group of college students came together to create a special bedroom for a child with cancer. That first transformation sparked a mission: to bring joy, hope, and healing into the lives of children facing some of their hardest days. Over the next decade, dozens of bedrooms were completed across Wisconsin, Minnesota, and Nebraska, each one designed to remind children that they are loved, supported, and never alone.
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Expanding the Mission
As the impact of these projects grew, so did the vision. In 2022, Designing Dreams USA, Inc. was launched to expand the mission nationwide. To do this responsibly, the organization created a chapter-based model, a structure that allows local communities to launch their own Designing Dreams chapters while receiving guidance, training, and support from the national team. This model ensures consistency, accountability, and long-term sustainability while allowing the mission to reach more children across the country.
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Where We Are Now
In 2023, Designing Dreams USA launched its first official chapter in San Diego, California. Powered by a passionate local community, the chapter partners with Rady Children’s Hospital and talented interior designers to create joyful, restorative spaces tailored to each child’s unique personality and needs. San Diego serves as the pilot chapter for the new model and a vibrant example of what is possible when national vision meets local heart.
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Our Future
Designing Dreams USA is building a national movement of healing and hope. With its chapter-based model, local leaders can bring Designing Dreams to their own communities with full support from the national organization. Our vision remains the same: to ensure every child with cancer has a space filled with comfort, creativity, and joy, a space where they can simply be kids.
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📧 Ready to make a lasting impact? Contact Kelly O'Donnell at kelly@designingdreamsusa.org