| |
|
|
|
| "Life Raft" |
 |
|
|
A LIFE RAFT
I am sure you can all imagine that the news of a cancer diagnosis is
utterly
devastating, especially when that news is about your
child. I could never
adequately explain to you what thoughts go through
your mind when you have to
contemplate losing a child. However, I can explain some
of the real-world burdens
that compound such news. My son Drew (pictured with his
dog Lexi) and our
family received that news in November of 2000. Drew was valiantly treated
for a
brain tumor at the Dana Farber and Children's Hospital,
unfortunately the treatments were not successful and
Drew died in July of 2001.
These additional burdens can include a substantial
loss of income, along
with the crushing inflow of expenses which can be
overpowering. Ordinary
bills such as food, mortgage, car payments and
insurance do not stop and are
compounded by additional bills including, co-pays,
uncovered medical
expenses, weekly or sometimes daily trips to Boston,
gas, parking,
over-night stays. Drew was taking eighteen medications
at one time, all
with co-pays and for several months he had
chemotherapy treatments five days
a week, making it impossible for me to work. Without
outside assistance, my
family could not have met these added financial burdens.
A "Life Raft", while not a lifesaver, helps keep
families focused on the
most important thing, caring for their child. A Life
Raft provides
financial assistance to ease some burdens and can
cover the gamut of
expenses from gas cards, to fulfilling a child's wish
and even regrettably
the payment of funeral expenses. A Life Raft floats
the family above the
costs that distract and drain them from their true
goal of getting their
child better and beating cancer.
Please support "A Life Raft" program during the live
auction to support The
Dana Farber Cancer Institute.
Sincerely, Deborah Riggs
|
|
|
|
|
|
