Pediatric Cancer Advocacy & Research Foundation

Cancer-Based Agency to Begin Offering Financial Support for Middle Class Families

Middle Class Families impacted by pediatric cancer will have much-needed support by Mid-June.

 

Oak Brook, IL -- (ReleaseWire) -- 05/28/2013 --When a child is diagnosed with cancer, the world can seem like it is ending for a parent. However, what isn’t thought of is the financial impact fighting your child’s cancer will have. According to KidStrong.org, a cancer based organization, the out of pocket cost for pediatric cancer in the United States is close to $40,000 per year ­ and that is for families that have quality health insurance. Add this to the statistic that, according to The American Journal of Medicine, 62% of all bankruptcies in the United States are due to medical reasons, and there is clearly a massive need for these families to be helped.

This is why PCARF is introducing the unique financial assistance program that is catered to the unmet needs of middle class families impacted by their child’s cancer. The one of a kind financial assistance program offers assistance to families based off of an expense to income ratio. There is no spend down required and no savings or stocks are taken into account. According to Founder and CEO, Michelle Dodd, she believes that this is the only way to keep families out of crisis. Dodd states, “A family making $700,000 is clearly not eligible for financial assistance. However, if they are sitting on $699,000 worth of debt, they are facing substantial crisis ­ which will ultimately impact the child’s road to health. We are not here to pull a family out of financial crisis ­ we are here to ensure a family never GOES into financial crisis.”

PCARF supporter, Vickie Czapla, agrees. “We’ve always done things right. We never lived outside of our means, we saved, and we were very careful with our money. However, when my son, Jack, was diagnosed with cancer, it was a game changer. No one is ever prepared for the financial impact cancer will have on a family.”

PCARF is currently launching in several hospitals in the Chicagoland area and is offering crisis based programming to families in the Chicagoland Ronald McDonald Houses.

About The PEdiatric Cancer Advocacy & Research Foundation
The Pediatric Cancer Advocacy & Research Foundation is a nonprofit, 501c3 organization that provides emotional, financial, and crisis based support to families and friends impacted by pediatric cancer. For more information, please visit http://www.PedCARF.org.?