RESOURCES FOR BREAST CANCER PATIENTS & SURVIVORS

By Letrise Carter

we continue to be informed and empowered regarding resources, programs, and facilities that can help women like us.

Lodging:

• Joe’s House: www.joeshouse.org (nonprofit organization that helps cancer patients and their families find a place to stay when traveling away from home for medical treatment).

• American Cancer Society: www.cancer.org Finds accommodations for cancer patients who must travel for outpatient treatment.

• HOPE Lodge: 800-227-2345 Gives patients and caregivers a free place to stay while receiving treatment.

In honor of Women’s History Month, we are sharing the resource list for Breast Cancer patients, survivors, and families caring for a loved one diagnosed with this disease. When you or a loved one is diagnosed with Breast Cancer it helps to know the resources and supportive services available to get through some of the most difficult times of life. Did you know that there are resources available for Breast Cancer patients and survivors to help them physically, mentally, financially, and emotionally? The below resources are free to current and past cancer survivors. I am happy to share the information given to me so that

• Cancer Care: www.cancercare.org Helps with lodging and other financial medical care needs.

• Keys for HOPE: www.ecoxplorer.com Offers cancer patients and their caregivers free hotel rooms if they must travel far from home for treatment.

Transportation:

• Road to Recovery (American Cancer Society) – 1-800-227-2345 – www.cancer. org – provides transportation to and from treatment for people with cancer who do not have a ride or are unable to drive themselves.

• Giving Back/Uber – 1-800-593-7069 – www. uber.com – will help patients find rides to chemo/ doctor appointments.

• Miracle Flights – (702) 261-0494 – www. miracleflights.org – provides free flights to those in need of life-changing medical care.

• MERCY MEDICAL ANGELS. 888-675-1405 / mercymedical.org. Helps find charitable transportation for patients.

• CORPORATE ANGEL NETWORK. 914-328-1313 / www.corpangelnetwork.org Cancer patients fly free.

• Angel Flight at 1-877-621-7177, www. angelflightamerica.org Is supported entirely by the generosity of the volunteer pilots who donate the costs of every flight, tax-deductible donations from individuals and corporations, and grants from foundations.

Retreats:

• Little Pink House of Hope. A nonprofit organization that provides peaceful beachside retreats at no cost to those battling cancer. www.littlepink.org. Phone 336-213-4733

• Castaways for Recovery. Healing retreat for women with cancer. www.castingforrecovery.org. Phone: 888-553-3500.

• Nancy’s List. Camping retreats. www.nancyslist. org . Phone number: not listed.

• Harmony Hill Healing Retreat

• Reel Recovery

• Wind River Retreat

• Stowe Weekend of Hope

• The Family Cancer Retreat

• Camp Make-A Dream

Below are other resources that offer some form of assistance, resources, support, and guidance to help those, and their families cope with Breast Cancer. It’s important for patients to understand their options, resources, and treatments available. No woman should have to make the choice of saying no to treatment because she does not have the funds to cover related costs.

• American Cancer Society – 800-227-2345 offers lots of support in various manners.

• The National Cancer Institute is an organization that keeps track of all the cancer hospitals across the United States and may be able to help a patient find treatment or a local second opinion/doctor/ cancer specialist/hospital: http://www.cancer. gov or (800) 422-6237 (offers clinical trials and disease specific information); their website also has a great dictionary function for medical terms.

• Cancer Care at 1-800-813-4673, www.cancercare. org Offers financial help, education, support groups, and access to a social worker.

• Needy Meds at www.Needymeds.com Offers help with medications.

• Medicine Assistance at www.PPARx.org – Helps patients and caregivers with health related needs.

• RX Assist at 1-800-332-2056, www.rxassist.org Offers assistance to patients without prescription drug coverage who meet income requirements.

• Health Well Foundation, 1-800-675-8416, www. healthwellfoundation.org Helps with prescription medicines.

• Medwise at www.medwisehealthcare.com Offers help to get medications free or at no cost.

• Partnership for Prescription Assistance, www. PPARx.org offers help with prescription drugs and sometimes patients can get them free or nearly free.

• Patient Advocate Foundation’s Co-Pay Relief Patient Assistance Program at 1-866-512-3861, 28 www.copays.org offers financial assistance to afford co-payments that are required by insurance companies.

• National Coalition for Cancer Survivorship’s website you can select “search” to view dozens of links to cancer types, clinical trials, support groups, common side effects, nutrition, and many more resources than I can list here, www.canceradvocacy.org.

• CANCERCARE CO-PAYMENT ASSISTANCE FOUNDATION 866-552-6729 / cancercarecopay.org. Helps with co-pays.

• CANCER LEGAL RESOURCE CENTER 866-843-2572 / cancerlegalresources.org. Free legal information and resources.

• HEALTHWELL FOUNDATION 800-675-8416 / healthwellfoundation.org. Reduces financial barriers to medical care.

• CLEANING FOR A REASON – provides free house cleaning for cancer patients. www.cleaningforareason. org – 877-337-3348

• WhatNext –www.whatnext.com – 800-227-2345 provides monthly nontoxic house cleaning to all cancer patients, regardless of type of cancer, for up to one year.

We salute all these agencies whose purpose is to help women like me get through traumatic life experiences. Being a Breast Cancer survivor, I was blessed by many of these organizations during my time with a ride to and from treatment, food, support groups, care packages, and classes. These organizations give their time, hope, love, and heart to get us through our treatments. There is light at the end of the tunnel.