IMPACT & GIVEBACK BY LIESEL SCHMIDT
R
egardless of the age of who may be receiving the news or the kindness with which it is delivered, hearing the word “cancer” instills fear and feelings of uncertainty. It will seem as though time has stopped and that life will never be the same. It’s a life-changing, world-altering word; and while most people go into planning mode about the course of action to take, those courses don’t usually involve a party. In Chad Landry’s experience, however, these are the very times to throw a party—especially when that party is one that brings awareness and does something as important as raising money that will help fund treatment. As a survivor of Hodgkin’s Lymphoma with 25 years since his diagnosis in his rearview mirror, Landry knew firsthand the emotional and physical challenges of going through diagnosis and treatment. Not to mention the financial toll that it takes. While he could have simply taken the victory of his successful battle with cancer and been thankful, he decided to use his own experience to do something of lasting importance. So Chad created a very unique organization that truly proves that everyday alive should be a party. Officially founded in 2003, New Orleans Lympho-Maniac Cancer Fund, as Landry so appropriately named the organization, is a 501c3 non-profit that has, over the past seventeen years, donated more than $1.5 million to fighting cancer in the New Orleans area. “All net proceeds from our New Orleans Lympho-Maniac Cancer Fund goes to support local New Orleans Cancer projects, programs, and services, including caring for the financial needs of lower-income families who have been impacted by cancer,” says Landry. “Most of it is directed to financial assistance grants for lower-income families of cancer patients at East Jefferson General Hospital, LSU Health Sciences, or Ochsner Hospital. Cancer causes a financial hardship 56
VIP NEW ORLEANS
Life is not a dress rehearsal. We only get one life, so live it to the fullest!
