Nurses make a difference
From May 6th through May 12th each year, National Nurses Week is celebrated, and this year’s theme is “Nurses: Advocating, Leading, Caring.” Just about everyone knows that nurses play a critical role in treating and comforting patients, but some people may not realize that often nurses are finding and helping develop resources for patients.
The Foundation’s booth was in the Advocacy Groups section
This is why Ali Hoffman, Patient Services Coordinator at The Bone Marrow Foundation, staffed a booth at the 37th Annual Oncology Nursing Society Congress. For three days, she met and exchanged knowledge with oncology nurses from across the country (and even some international nurses). Ali provided information about the Foundation’s financial assistance programs and publications. She also asked nurse for their feedback on existing patient resources so that their day-to-day, hands on knowledge could be used to improve programs and better assist patients. The most popular topic of discussion was the Foundation’s medical and educational handbooks. Many nurses spoke about the difficulty they have experienced finding high-quality educational materials and assistance programs for patients who are facing bone marrow, stem cell, and cord blood transplants.
From the diagnosis and through the post-transplant follow-up, nurses play a huge role in helping a patient through the transplant process and on the road to recovery. They are an incredible resource in their own right, and with their help, we hope to improve the support offered to patients.
Inspiration for Today: Lemonade
Drew with his younger brothers
After his father was diagnosed with cancer, 6 year old Drew Cox set up a lemonade stand to raise money to help his family with medical bills. With the support of friends, classmates, and neighbors, Drew attracted a lot of customers, and this brought his cause to the attention of media and new fans. A family friend followed Drew’s lead by starting an online request for donations.
Sparked by a young boy’s simple idea and desire to help, the family has raised more than $10,000. Click here or on the picture to learn more about Drew and watch a video about his lemonade stand.
If you are planning a fundraiser of your own, consider supporting Lifeline Project participants.
It’s a Marathon, not a Sprint
The Hubbell Family has a lot to be thankful for.
Katy with her parents Dave and Mary (Photo: Robin Scholz/The News-Gazette)
When 4-year-old Katy was diagnosed with aplastic anemia and lymphoma, her parents, Mary and Dave, were told that a bone marrow transplant was her only chance of long-term survival. Katy’s parents and her siblings were tested, but none were a match. Thankfully, a search of the National Marrow Donor Program’s registry revealed a match, and doctors successfully transplanted the donor’s healthy stem cells into Katy.
The Hubbells were physically separated during Katy’s treatment. While Mary stayed with her at the Houston hospital, Dave and the couple’s other two children remained at home in Illinois. Fortunately, Mary’s mother was able to temporarily leave her job and help provide childcare, which enabled Dave to keep his job and maintain the health insurance critical to paying for Katy’s treatment.
But, insurance doesn’t pay for everything. To help the Hubbells with expenses accumulated from Katy and Mary’s five month relocation, travel, co-pays, and medications, the family’s hometown rallied and raised $30,000.
This was all more than a decade ago. Now, Katy is a high school senior looking towards college. Mary and Dave know that their family has been lucky. They receive messages from families around the world in similar situations. They offer this advice: “Remember, it’s a marathon, not a sprint, and you have to take it one day at a time.”
Click here to read the full article about the Hubbell Family.
To learn more about expenses transplant patients and their families face and how to help, visit The Bone Marrow Foundation’s Lifeline Project by clicking here.
