Paying it Forward.

Cancer isn't free. One year of treatment, at the young age of 23,  put me thousands of dollars into debt. I finished treatment on August 31st, 2007- but I was nowhere being done with my cancer experience. The financial aspect haunts me to this day- which is exactly 6 years, 3 months, and 11 days since my last treatment.

The reason for this post is because I joined The SAMFund Alumni Team for our Holiday Campaign to help raise money. The team I am on consists of all past grant recipients- people that I have so much in common with. We want to pay it forward.

I know you have all read my past blog posts about how expensive cancer is. Well- The SAMfund just released their new  brochure, with the statement: "Cancer isn't Free". They really hit it on the head. Cancer is not free- in fact, it's the most expensive thing I've ever had to deal with. I've bought a car, had a wedding, put myself through college (via loans that I am paying now!), saving for a house, etc. None of those compare to the cost of my cancer treatment- and the cancer treatment continues for most after cancer. I still go in for blood work and scans, and those still come with a hefty price tag, despite having insurance, and being perfectly healthy today.

So, to keep it simple- what I am asking is that during the holidays, this time of giving, that you consider making a donation the my team's campaign. I am living proof of the affect that a SAMFund grant has on a recipient. My grant was life-changing. My grant gave me breathing room- by paying down my residual medical bills, it allowed me to continue to receive my scans and blood-work. My grant did so much more for me- so help me make a difference in a young adult survivor's life.

Lastly, I will end by sharing a quote from a past grant recipient: "My experiences with cancer have caused financial hardship through my young adult life. My second cancer recurrence occurred when I was 25 years old. Even though I spend very responsibly, cancer has challenged my ability to build my financial strength. Although it is a hardship for me to pay my high insurance premium, I am not willing to sacrifice the quality of care that I receive because of my financial situation. A grant from The SAMFund would help prevent financial disaster."

To make a donation, please visit my page here.

xo
k