Wednesday, 15 January 2025

CANCER. CROSSING ASSISTS TWO TIME PATIENT WITH TRAVEL COSTS

 


Client #259 

72-year-old male from the Westman Region has a history of colorectal cancer and faced more adversity with a new diagnosis of prostate cancer. After chemotherapy he required radiation therapy and needed to travel to the Prostate Center, in Winnipeg (500 km round-trip) for appointments. He lives alone, surviving on a meager pension. The cost of housing, utilities and food left little at the end of the month for unexpected expenses. Cancer Crossing is pleased to contribute towards his travel costs, taking some of the pressure off so he could focus on his recovery.


Photo credit: The Weather Center of Manitoba

Monday, 6 January 2025

Strong Support from Healthcare Staff


"What surprised me the most about my cancer journey ? 

We didn’t get any grief when we had to cancel appointments because of road conditions. The staff were very accommodating. I met other patients who were going through the same thing as me. I felt a lot of support from the staff and other patients. They celebrated with me when I completed my treatments."  D.M.

Tuesday, 31 December 2024

Reflections on 2024


As another year comes to a close, we can’t help but think of all the people who have crossed our paths.

In 2024, we provided $7,750.00 in financial assistance to cancer patients struggling with the new and unexpected expenses that came with their cancer diagnosis. These patients and their families are in our thoughts and prayers on their road to recovery.

Cancer Crossing is a non-profit organization with 100% of donations and money raised going directly to cancer patients.  We had several fundraisers this year including a Lobster Dinner, Bakery Sweets, Sausage on a bun and ending the year with some humour. Thank you to all of you who supported our cause and heartfelt gratitude to our sponsors;

North Garden Restaurant, Sweet Impressions Bakery, Calabria Market, and Rumors Comedy Club.

We are all volunteers and all of our operating expenses are paid by Sponsors. There are several ways to support our cause so that we can continue supporting families from across the province:

1. Make a donation to Cancer Crossing. Cheques can be mailed to Cancer Crossing Inc., 1-1660 Kenaston Blvd. PO Box 70029, Winnipeg, MB R3P 0X6 or contribute through our website at cancercrossing.com

2. Purchase our book 'Cancer Crossing' by emailing us at info@cancercrossing.com

3. Join our volunteer team by emailing us at info@cancercrossing.com

4. Let your friends and family know we are here and encourage them to follow us on Facebook.

5. Share your cancer journey with us so we may inspire others. Email us at followup@cancercrossing.com

Sunday, 29 December 2024

ADVICE TO CANCER PATIENTS

"My advice to a newly diagnosed patient is; 

- Don’t give up hope and play the cards you were dealt. 

- Educate yourself and research all the available treatments so you can decide the best choice for you. 

- Don’t be afraid of the truth. Don’t procrastinate and don’t be afraid to ask questions. 

- Take someone to your appointments with you as it is difficult to process all the overwhelming information.

- Remember, there are people out there that care about you. Keep your chin and put up a good fight."

F.K.

THANK YOU CANCER CROSSING!

 “I was back and forth to Winnipeg for many appointments and transportation was extremely costly. There is limited bus and shuttle service. I was unable to work during treatment so my income was reduced. Financially the money I received from Cancer Crossing helped me immensely“ D.H

THE COST OF CANCER

 This week, the Canadian Cancer Society released a study about how cancer patients struggle financially with costs associated with having the disease even in our so called ‘universal health care system’. 

For years, the repeated phrase at Cancer Crossing has been: Cancer Crossing helps those who 'fall between the cracks'. 

Interesting that a doctor in this article states: "We need to be able to recognize when there's cracks in the system."

Cancer Crossing has recognized these cracks and we have been delivering financial support to cancer patients who are struggling financially as a result of their cancer diagnosis and subsequent treatment for almost a decade. We are pleased that the Canadian Cancer Society study backs up our mission. 


The following article was published this week on this subject. We have copied and pasted a CBC article here for you. Similar stories are available online from a variety of news outlets if you want to have a look.


Remember to support Cancer Crossing this holiday season! You can donate on our website at cancercrossing.ca or email us at info@cancercrossing.com to make a pledge.


Dec 09, 2024

Amina Zafar, Journalist, CBC News

During her cancer treatment, Vanessa Percoco felt forced to choose between paying to feel better or making rent.

Percoco, 33, of Laval, Que., had just started on a short contract working with some Grade 3 students with special needs. A diagnosis of advanced colorectal cancer in 2022 put those plans on hold.


During more than two years of treatment, which included surgery to remove part of the colon as well as 12 rounds of chemotherapy, Percoco paid more than $4,000 out of pocket for prescription drugs, including medications to cope with the side-effects and complications. On top of that, there were costs for colostomy bags, which she had to restock every four days, bandages, physiotherapy sessions and osteopathic consultations, as well as travel and parking.


Her diagnosis left her unable to work, and the 15 weeks of employment insurance she was entitled to quickly ran out each week. Percoco had to rely on her loved ones for financial support.

"When you're doing cancer treatment … you should be thinking about surviving and focusing on feeling better," Percoco told CBC News. 

Instead, she says she was constantly worried about money. "I [had] to pay to get better."


The Canadian Cancer Society included Percoco's story, along with other people recounting their lived experience with the financial costs and stress of living with and beyond cancer, in a report released on Monday about the costs associated with cancer treatment. 


While in-hospital costs such as surgery and chemotherapy are publicly covered, the report reveals that in total, and averaged across all cancer types, an individual is expected to incur $32,778 in costs related to cancer over their lifetime. These include out-of-pocket expenses like prescribed medications, transportation to hospital and accommodation as well as lost income during treatment and recovery.


Forgo or delay cancer treatment:

Ioana Nicolau co-chaired the scientific advisory committee behind the report, which she called the first of its kind.

"For people with cancer and their caregivers, their cost was $7.5 billion this year alone," Nicolau said. 

The society put together the estimates in its report using a modelling tool in collaboration with Statistics Canada and the Public Health Agency of Canada, with analysis conducted by the Canadian Partnership Against Cancer.


The four most commonly diagnosed cancers in Canada — breast, colorectal, lung and prostate — are expected to have a large economic impact on health systems, the report's authors said, based on factors such as incidence, demographics, stage of malignancy at the time of diagnosis and survival time. They expect these four cancers to account for 47 per cent of health system costs, projected at $14.2 billion this year. 

On average, individuals paid 20 per cent of the total cost to society, with the rest stemming from direct health system costs, such as surgery, expected to total $30.2 billion, according to the report.

Nicolau says some opt to delay or forgo aspects of their treatment, so the squeeze on the pocketbook can contribute to worse health outcomes.

"There are individuals that are at lower income or fixed income individuals and [in] rural and remote locations which can really feel this impact and this burden significantly," she added.


Dr. Christopher Booth, a medical oncologist at Kingston General Hospital and professor at Queen's University, said the strength of the report came from the stories from people with cancer and how financial barriers affected their treatment, care and recovery.

"Probably the most worrisome finding is the proportion of this cost that is directly borne by patients and families," Booth said. "We need to be able to recognize when there's cracks in the system."


Percoco says her father helped pay the bills for her basic necessities, while her sister shut down her hair salon to take her to appointments. She says she's grateful for their assistance.

Financial assistance to offset travel-related costs are offered by the Canadian Cancer Society as well as some cancer specific groups.


Nicolau, who is an epidemiologist at the University of Calgary, hopes the report stimulates conversations and prompts policymakers to focus on finding solutions to reduce the financial burden on people facing a potentially life-threatening illness.


For her part, Percoco returned to working in special education in May. She said she wanted to share her story because she knows there are others with cancer who are at the end of their lives who are stressed about money. "I don't think that's fair," she said.

CANCER CROSSING PROVIDES HELP TO CLIENT UNABLE TO WORK

Client #262


55-year-old male from rural Manitoba was diagnosed with metastatic pancreatic cancer.  He was unable to work and had to take leave from his job as a truck driver. Unfortunately, he had no benefits to supplement his income. His partner remained employed but having to now survive on one income had been a significant change/stressor. Cancer Crossing was pleased to provide financial assistance to this client during this difficult time in his life.