CaringBridge is a nonprofit organization offering free personalized websites to people facing a serious medical condition or hospitalization, undergoing medical treatment and/or recovering from a significant accident, illness, injury or procedure. Its functionality is similar to a blog. The service allows family members and friends to receive consistent information via a single website, and eliminates the need to place and receive numerous telephone calls. Visitors who are provided the personal website address (or URL) and password, if required, can read updates on the patient’s condition and post their own messages of support and encouragement to the family.

CaringBridge sites make it easier for patients, caregivers, families and friends to exchange information about a patient’s medical condition or disease on an ongoing basis. The websites are designed to become conduits between patients, their families, friends, neighbors and colleagues.

Each day, more than half-a-million people connect through CaringBridge. In total, those websites have received more than a billion visits from caring family and friends. Sona Mehring started CaringBridge in 1997, after a friend gave birth to a premature baby. Mehring created a website to post medical and status updates, and provide a way for friends and family members to leave messages of support.