Fund Benefiting Local Cancer Patients Feeling Weight of Pandemic
THOMPSON FOUNDATION
With the pandemic taking a financial toll on donors, fundraising events and the personal finances of patients, the Patient Needs Fund at the Sands Cancer Center is seeking support.
The fund helps patients who are undergoing active treatment, have identified financial constraints and are experiencing unexpected costs of a long illness. It provides financial assistance for necessities such as groceries, fuel for transportation to/from medical appointments, and specialized medical needs. Deborah Wiepert, the cancer center’s coordinator, described the longstanding fund as “a wonderful resource for us to have.”
“Going through treatment is challenging for patients, physically, emotionally and financially. Patients and families are frequently filled with worry. Patients incur many expenses that no one is able to plan for such as specialized foods, prescriptions, co-pays and increased fuel costs,” she said. “It is nice to help take away some of the worry by helping with the costs at times.”
Wiepert said the cancer center’s patient population comes from a wide demographic encompassing several area counties.
“There are both more and better treatments available now, so at times, cancer really becomes a ‘chronic’ disease,” she said, noting some patients have appointments multiple times per week, and these appointments are not only for radiation or chemotherapy but diagnostic imaging, surgical visits, lab draws or placement of ports. “All of these things require medical visits and co-pays.”
There are also out-of-pocket costs for prescriptions and other post-surgical items that are sometimes not covered by insurance. When it comes to groceries, Wiepert said, many patients require special foods and nutritional supplements that can add to their bill.
At the same time, many who normally work are unable during treatment.
While the ripple effects of COVID-19 have caused usage of the fund to rise this past year, the Sands Cancer Center is grateful for the community support shown during the pandemic. For example, the Canandaigua Police Department’s Gold Badge Club and Police Benevolent Association acknowledged the needs of this vulnerable population and each made $500 donations to the fund. Chief Mathew A. Nielsen, who made a personal donation as well, said, “At some point we will all have cancer touch our lives in one way or another. Many of our officers personally know the toll it can take on the patient, their family and their friends. With the urgency of treatment taking center stage, many basic logistical needs of the patient and their families will end up taking a back seat. Our officers recognize the unintentional void this creates in the patient’s treatment and recovery, and they were more than eager to step up and help by donating to this fund. “
F.F. Thompson Foundation Director Mary Schneiter reflected, “The Patient Needs Fund does more than provide for people’s physical needs. It takes a portion of the burden off patients’ shoulders at a time when they need it most. It enables at-risk patients to focus more fully on their health and actively partner with their care team in that journey. This fund, in very real ways, can change lives with small gestures of support that tell a patient they are not going through this alone. Our generous donors bring encouragement and compassion in the midst of struggle.”
Wiepert said the cancer center – which is located on Thompson Health’s campus and part of the Wilmot Cancer Institute – is grateful for every donation because it can continue providing gift cards to patients who need to fill their gas tanks or need help with groceries, prescriptions or needed medical items.
“One of the special things about the fund is that when people donate, they know the money is going to help people in very tangible ways,” she said. “It is always such a relief for patients to be able to put food on their table or fill their gas tanks. Most of the time as I am giving a card to someone, they are already asking how they can pay it back so someone else can benefit.”
Those wishing to support the Sands Cancer Center Patient Needs Fund may visit ThompsonHealth.com/Foundation. Those wishing to send donations via mail can address them to F.F. Thompson Foundation, 350 Parrish St., Canandaigua, NY 14424. For more information, call the Foundation at (585) 396-6155.