Women We’ve Helped – Maria

Grant Recipient: Maria

Diagnosis: Stage II Breast Cancer

Treatment: Surgery, Radiation

Grant used for: Rent

A Duel-Income Household Becomes a Single-Income Household

San Diego is a beautiful but expensive place to live and raise a family. Maria and her husband did just that, bringing up two children. They both worked, and Maria’s income was a crucial part of their financial calculation.

And then came cancer.

In October of 2018, Maria was diagnosed with tubular ductal carcinoma. She went into surgery and may have to undergo another procedure. After that, she’ll start a long and debilitating regimen of radiation treatment.

As a result of her treatment, Maria had to leave her job and now relies on disability to make ends meet.

One Salary Stretched Thin

The normal, everyday bills don’t go away when someone has cancer. In fact, costs rise. Cancer requires numerous co-pays, expensive medication, special food, and lots of gasoline to drive to an endless set of appointments. Maria’s husband’s salary must somehow cover all of their bills and expenses even while one of their children still lives at home.

It’s easy to see how a cancer diagnosis can quickly crack the foundation of a family’s financial stability.

With the help of our donors, SOPFCA was able to provide Maria and her family a much-deserved grant to assist with their rent costs. We hope that this small gift can take some of the pressure off Maria’s husband so that Maria can focus on getting through radiation and moving into recovery.