No Wooden Nickels

In early 2009 it was announced that cancer had surpassed heart disease as the number one killer of Americans under the age of 85, according to an annual report by the American Cancer Society.  As one of the primary organizations which refer their patients to our doors for financial assistance, this report carried special weight for No Wooden Nickels.

While cancer is no respecter of class, status, race or religion, it has an even more devastating effect on those who are already deemed “low-income”.  For over three years No Wooden Nickels has been engaged in the fight, step-by-step, with more than 400 cancer patients and their families who have sought financial assistance for basic necessities. 

No Wooden Nickels is the only charitable organization of its kind devoted exclusively to offering help with those basic needs to simply get through treatment.  Assistance such as transportation, household utilities, meals, medical equipment, clothing, adult and child care, medical bills and more.  Click here to learn more.

So here is the plain truth (the short version) as many cancer patients already know and what we see each day:  over 85% of patients who are diagnosed with cancer and undergo treatment are too ill to continue working.  Once out of work, patients and their families suffer an immediate decline or complete loss in income.  While family members can and do help, the battle can sometimes last, on average, a year and a half (of course I’m being generous).  A great many patients have no insurance or quickly max out their benefits in a few short months.  Chemo ain’t cheap. 

Now, try to maintain doctors’ appointments, travel on average 60 miles one way for treatment, experience decreased activity due to the ill effects of treatment and oh, I almost forgot…come home to no lights or no heating gas, etc.  Sobering thought wouldn’t you say?  Like many other organizations who has cancer in it’s crosshairs, No Wooden Nickels attempt to add our voices to advocate on their behalf.  Daily I am sent and plow through tons of current information on cancer, nonprofits and the enormous amounts of research being done. However, we recognize perhaps more than most that in the overwhelming majority of these cases help is needed—now.  To change the present.  That’s why we say we help deliver dignity. 

Don’t get me wrong, this disease which is estimated to end the lives of some 566,000 of our loved ones here in the U.S. in 2009 requires attack from many sides.  More importantly, there are wonderful and innovative approaches and ideas being implemented and discussed every day.  Being a former systems engineer/administrator I am still drawn to headline making IT news.  So imagine my surprise and delight as I perused the December ’08 issue of Wired http://www.wired.com/medtech/health/magazine/17-01/ff_cancer/ where it talked about the work of Don Listwin, formerly of Cisco Systems and the mission of the Canary Foundation.  Having lost his mother to ovarian cancer is now on a mission to beat cancer with early detection using biomarkers by 2015—this is one of my favs.

But instead of me going on and on, we’d like for you to add your voice to the discussion.  Honestly, I do not know of anyone who doesn’t know someone who has not been touched by this disease.  Grammar aside, we’re always on the search to find ways to raise awareness of this community.

Therefore, this forum is for sharing your personal stories or those of someone you know who has or is currently battling this disease and the devastating financial impact it creates.