Your participation at the Culture and Caring Event will help a family with a child at the Jimmy Fund Clinic deal with the emotional and financial turmoil of cancer. Below, we offer two stories of families from Massachusetts who were helped by Family Reach in time of great need.

Hayley, Age 7, Massachusetts

In April 2008, Hayley was admitted to the children's hospital and diagnosed with angiosarcoma, a cancer more common in adults. (Hayley has a mediastinal mass and two chest tubes.) Except for one brief stay at home, Hayley has remained an inpatient since April. She will likely spend another month in the hospital.

Hayley has three siblings ages 10, 14, 16. Hayley's mother was working part-time at Wal-Mart, but has been on unpaid leave since mid-March due to Hayley's illness. Hayley's father works for a plumbing company but has been unable to work his usual full-time hours due to Hayley's illness. Their household income has been significantly reduced as a consequence. The family does not like to ask for help, but they are now in great financial need.

Family Reach provided a $1,000 grant to help Hayley's parents pay their mortgage.

Lugo, Age 5, Massachusetts

Lugo was diagnosed with Acute Lymphocytic Leukemia (ALL) in November 2007 and will undergo chemotherapy in Boston over the next two years. He is currently being seen as an outpatient for chemotherapy. Lugo has already had two inpatient hospital admissions for complications of his treatment and we expect that he will require further hospitalizations in the future.

Lugo lives with his parents and his 7-year-old sister. Lugo was diagnosed with ALL when the family was living in Florida and they have since relocated to Massachusetts to receive medical care. His mother was a full-time student and his father had left his job two days prior to Lugo's cancer diagnosis. At this time, both parents are unemployed and are not receiving any income. They are supporting their family by borrowing money from friends and family. The family currently receives medical insurance through COBRA. They have applied for MassHealth to assist with Lugo's medical costs, but may have to wait for up to 3 months until they are covered.

The family is currently struggling to cover expenses related to Lugo's medical treatment. The parents are planning to find part-time work and to rent out a home that they own in Florida in order to make ends meet. At the moment, however, they have no income. I met with the parents today and they would greatly appreciate help with their rent payment. This assistance will help the family avoid sinking deeper into debt as they have already borrowed thousands of dollars from friends and family.

Family Reach provided a $1,000 grant to help Lugo's parents pay their rent.