Grant Recipient: Maria

“Maria has been a hard working woman who just wants to take care of her children and have a roof over their heads.” – Maria’s nurse navigator at Sharp Outpatient Pavilion Cancer Institute

Diagnosis: Stage III breast cancer (diagnosed 09/2009)

Treatment: Mastectomy, lymph node removal, chemotherapy

Grant used for: Utility bills, communication bills, groceries

Maria Is a Hard-Working Mom of Six

Before her cancer diagnosis in 2009, Maria worked hard cleaning houses and taking care of her six children along with her husband. Together, their income was just enough to cover expenses. The cancer came back in 2013, this time more aggressive than ever.

Maria Loses a Breast…and Her Husband’s Affection

As a result, Maria had to undergo a partial mastectomy and lymph node removal (lymphadenectomy). Maria noticed that her husband’s attitude changed toward her after she lost her left breast. “He lost his feelings for me, because I lost my breast,” Maria told us.

Another Relapse…

In 2015, Maria’s cancer returned again, this time stage IIIC. She underwent another regiment of chemotherapy. The treatment left her with fatigue so severe that she could no longer work. She also suffered lymphedema, a painful swelling of the limbs, which is common after the removal of lymph nodes. This round of cancer also gave her one more burden to bear. After 23 years of marriage, her husband walked out on her and his family, leaving her to support her children, including a daughter with special needs.

Maria tells us, “He told me he was tired of living his life with someone he doesn’t love anymore.”

Without her husband, Maria now had no income. The bills are mounting quickly.

Not Enough Money for Birthday Presents…

“Sometimes my kids ask me if I will do something special for them for their birthday,” Maria wrote to us in her grant request application. “[For] three years I haven’t been able to give them that.”

Additionally, she has not been able to buy equipment and uniforms so that her children can participate in sports at their school. She tells us that her twin daughters wish they could play rugby, one son wants to play football, and her youngest son, nine years old, has begged to play baseball.

Maria is seeking child support from her husband and currently struggling to keep her family afloat even as she finishes up her treatment.

An SOPFCA Grants Makes a Big Difference in Maria’s Life

With the help of our donors, we were able to provide Maria with a grant to help cover some of her bills and relieve some of her financial distress. We hope that this 46-year-old mother recovers quickly from her treatments and that she will soon begin receiving the financial support from her husband that she and her children deserve.

Noni and her best friend Spike with Nurse Navigator Maureen .

Grant Recipient: Noni

Diagnosis: : Stage III breast cancer (diagnosed 12/15)

Treatment: Surgery, chemotherapy, radiation, reconstruction

Grant used for: Auto payment, auto insurance, groceries

A Difficult Life, and Then Cancer

For Noni, life has long been a struggle. Early into her 20s, Noni was wracked by chronic back pain and fibromyalgia so severe that she was forced to go on permanent disability. The loss of her health and her autonomy brought on severe bouts of depression. Throughout all these significant challenges, Noni managed to find small rays of happiness. She learned to stretch her small monthly disability payments so that she could afford a simple apartment, and she found unconditional love from her pet dog.
It was a life, and Noni was making it work…until cancer came knocking.

Two Devastating Blows

At end of December, 2015, Noni discovered that she had stage III breast cancer. Her medical team took swift action. She underwent a bilateral mastectomy and reconstruction and is now slated to receive radiation therapy. Her doctors want her to also consider chemotherapy, but Noni’s fragile emotional state has left her uncertain about whether she can handle the punishing chemo treatments.That’s because even as Noni added cancer to her list of health woes, her carefully balanced financial life was also crumbling beneath her feet. In January of this year, she received a notice that her disability benefits were being reduced by 31%. The difference was only a few hundred dollars, but for someone like Noni who was always living on the edge of financial stability, this reduction was more than enough to throw her world into chaos.

Losing Her Independence

Noni never had much, but she was proud of that small apartment. With her benefits severely cut and medical costs piling up, she was forced to move in with a friend. With no family and no savings, she had to accept food donations and transportation help from her small network of friends.
Noni tells us, “The addition of cancer has caused me to lose my independence, and I am struggling to make ends meet.” Her biggest challenges are finding money to make her car payments and to afford gas so she can keep going to her treatments.

At SOPFCA we were glad to give Noni some good news in what has been such a challenging year for her. With the support of our friends at SITE, we were able to provide her with an expanded grant that helped her make a car payment, catch up on car insurance, pay for gas, and buy groceries. We hope that with fewer worries on her plate, Noni will feel emotionally strong enough to accept her doctor’s recommendation and undergo chemotherapy when the time comes.

Grant Recipient: Christina

“I continue to stay positive and try not to worry about money”

Diagnosis: Stage II breast cancer (diagnosed 11/2014)

Treatment: Surgery, chemotherapy, and radiation

Grant used for: Auto insurance, travel costs, groceries, communication bills

Christina Finds Out She Has Breast Cancer at Age 39

Christina, who goes by “Tina,” is a generally positive and happy person, but it’s difficult to look on the bright side all the time, especially when the doctor says, “You have breast cancer.” At the age of 39, Tina was diagnosed with stage II breast cancer in November of 2014.

Tina Is Fired After Telling Her Boss About Her Diagnosis

Shortly after her diagnosis, Tina called her boss to ask for some time off to consult with her doctors and schedule her cancer treatment. The next day at work she was fired!

Forced to Move Back in With Her Parents…

Ever the optimist, Tina is thankful that she was able to move in with her parents in Ramona, but the drive to her treatment center in La Jolla is far, and the bills are still adding up. Her unemployment payments have run out, and despite several appeals, all her requests for disability support have been denied.

Living Off of Credit Cards…

As Tina goes through the difficult process of chemotherapy with radiation to look forward to next, she has watched her savings dwindle to nothing. Before cancer she was debt free. Today, she lives off her credit cards, the debt getting higher and higher even as she has months left of exhausting treatment.

Tina tells us that she still tries to stay positive as much as possible. She looks forward to the day when she is in remission and can go back to work and start rebuilding her life.

Tina Receives a Grant From SOPFCA

The funds provided by our generous donors have allowed us to give Christina a well-deserved grant so she can pay down some of her most nagging bills and cover her travel costs for treatment. We know that with her can-do attitude Tina will bounce back stronger than ever!

Grant Recipient: Cely

Being approved for your grant will help lessen the burden of our bills.

Diagnosis: Stage III breast cancer (diagnosed 03/14)

Treatment: Radiation and mastectomy

Grant used for: Wireless bill, utility bill, health insurance, car insurance

Cely’s story: In 2008, Cely’s husband suffered a stroke and she became his primary caregiver. She spent years lovingly taking care of him until March of 2014 when she also suffered a health crisis. In that month, she was diagnosed with stage III breast cancer. She underwent a mastectomy, which removed 13 lymph nodes as well as radiation therapy. As a result of the treatment, she developed a rare condition called neuropathy, which has made it difficult for the 62-year-old to walk and maintain her balance.

The difficult symptoms of neuropathy combined with the draining radiation therapy made it impossible for Cely to work or to continue caring for her husband. The couple’s 26-year-old daughter relocated from Los Angeles to help care for both of her parents. She transports Cely to her medical appointments and even helps pay for her mother’s health insurance.

Cely and her husband are relying on disability, Social Security and the kindness of their daughter to help them pay their mounting bills. Cely tells us that “I hope that I feel stronger as time goes by. Thank you for your consideration and generosity.”

Shades of Pink Foundation California was able to provide Cely with a grant that went towards covering utility bills, health insurance and car insurance. We want to thank our donors for making this grant possible for Cely and her family.

Grant Recipient: Lou

Throughout my life, I have faced many challenges that tested my will power and strength

Diagnosis: Stage III breast cancer (diagnosed 12/14)

Treatment: Chemotherapy, surgery, hormonal treatment, possibly radiation

Grant used for: Wireless bill, travel expenses, food assistance

Lou’s story: Lou has experienced her share of challenges throughout her life. As the wife of a Navy veteran, she was forced to quit her job as a nurse when her husband was deployed to Bosnia so that she could care for their two young children. Later, her husband’s career took them to Rota, Spain, where she had trouble finding nursing work and instead cobbled together entry level positions to make ends meet.

Recently, her husband retired after 20 years in the Navy. Lou was proud that through the hard work of herself and her husband, she was able to see both of her children off to college. Now that the children were on their way, she could finally re-focus on the career she loved. Up until December, 2014, Lou was attending community college classes, intent on regaining her nursing certification. She also worked to help support her kids in college.
Unfortunately, life put another bump in her road. A big bump called cancer. That December, Lou discovered that she had stage III breast cancer. The ex-nurse found herself in the shoes of her previous patients as she underwent chemotherapy, hormonal treatment, and surgery.

The treatments have left Lou weak and unable to complete her classes or work. She decided to drop out of school, but looks forward to re-enrolling in the future when she is well. Lou has exhausted her sick leave and annual leave at work, so now she and her husband rely only on his retirement income to cover their living expenses, their children’s college costs, and the cost of her treatments. She tells us that, “I’m applying for this grant from Shades of Pink Foundation California, so that it would help alleviate the financial burden my family is facing.”
Lou’s plight touched us and thanks to the generosity of our donors, we were able to provide her with a grant that helped pay for her phone bill, transportation costs and for groceries. We wish Lou the best in her recovery and in her goal of becoming a nurse once again.

Grant Recipient: Candy

As a mom, I want to see my children grow up and have a life of their own

Diagnosis: Breast cancer, stage II (diagnosed 09/2014)

Treatment: Chemotherapy, mastectomy, reconstruction

Grant used for: Utility bills, food assistance, travel expenses

Candy’s story: Before her breast cancer diagnosis, Candy was the primary breadwinner for her family. She worked fulltime as an Accounts Associate at a financial investment firm and often sought extra hours to earn more for her young family. Her husband stayed at home to care for their four-year-old daughter and two-year-old son.

In 2014 at the age of 36, Candy discovered a lump on her right breast. She was eventually diagnosed with stage II infiltrating ductal carcinoma. She underwent a double mastectomy and now faces five months of chemotherapy. Since her diagnosis, Candy has been unable to work, leaving the family with no income. Candy is applying for disability coverage, but even that won’t be able to meet all her medical and day-to-day expenses.

Now, she and her family are struggling to cover everyday costs, like their utility bills and rent. Candy is looking forward to going back to work as soon as she is able. She tells us, “It’s going to be a long journey for me, but I’m hoping it’ll pay off in the long run.” She stays positive for her children, whom she describes as, “my life.”

With the help of our donors, SOPFCA was able to provide Candy and her family with a grant that was used to cover utility bills, purchase groceries, and cover travel costs so that Candy can make her treatment appointments.

Grant Recipient: Suzan

Diagnosis: Stage III breast cancer (diagnosed 03/14)

Treatment: Chemotherapy, radiation, mastectomy, reconstruction

Grant used for: Utility bills, vehicle maintenance

Suzan’s story: Suzan is a 48-year-old single mother of three who is struggling to support her family as she undergoes difficult radiation therapy. Suzan was diagnosed with stage III breast cancer in March of 2014. Since her diagnosis, she has undergone two major surgeries and is now in radiation therapy, which requires driving to the hospital and receiving treatment for two to four hours each day. The radiation has left her weak, nauseous, and in a lot of pain. Suzan had to quit working during her treatment and now relies on child support, disability payments, and a little extra money her teenage daughter makes at a part-time job over the weekends. All combined, this money still isn’t enough to cover her family’s monthly expenses, and she is falling behind on many bills, including rent, utilities, and car insurance.

Suzan wrote to us, “I would appreciate any type of support that you can give me and my family.” SOPFCA was glad to help lift some of Suzan’s worries by providing her with a grant that was used to pay utility bills and help cover her car insurance needs. Thank you to our donors for making this grant possible.

Grant Recipient: Jessica

Our bills are piling up since my diagnosis of breast cancer

Diagnosis: Stage II breast cancer (diagnosed 10/14)

Treatment: Surgery, reconstruction, lymphedema

Grant used for: Wireless bill, travel expenses, food assistance

Jessica’s story: Jessica is a 43-year-old mother of two autistic children. Before her cancer diagnosis, she was the primary caregiver for her children while her husband worked to support the family. Both of Jessica’s children have food allergies and require a very specialized and expensive diet. In October of 2014, Jessica was diagnosed with stage II breast cancer. As a part of her treatment, she underwent a mastectomy and reconstruction. She now suffers from lymphedema, (painful swelling of her lymph nodes), and wears a compression sleeve to help manage the pain.

Due to the difficulties of her cancer treatment, Jessica has been unable to take care of her children on her own. Her husband has stepped up to the plate and taken time off work to care for his children and wife, but without his salary, the family is facing considerable financial stress. Currently, they are relying on credit cards to pay their bills.

Jessica is experiencing a lot of pain and anxiety related to her illness and the added financial stress is triggering bad asthma attacks. In the recent past, Jessica has visited the E.R. three times for asthma attacks. Each visit requires another high co-pay, which only increases Jessica’s anxiety. In her grant application, Jessica tells us that she must now buy more medicine to help manage her increasing pain, anxiety, and stress. Jessica says, “I would greatly appreciate anything you may donate to our family.”

SOPFCA was glad to provide Jessica and her family a grant to help ease their financial stress. Our grant was used to cover the family’s wireless bill, provide funds for the specialized food Jessica’s children need, and transportation costs so Jessica can continue to make it to treatment. Thank you to all of our gracious donors who allow us to assist women in need like Jessica and so many others.