Help Cancer Patients Pay for Travel Expenses!

This Wednesday, the last Bonus day of the year will offer a great opportunity to multiply your impact on someone's life.  It may be a child or an adult with cancer from a country far away.  Most likely, you will never get to meet them.  Still, your gift could be that crucial tipping point that makes all the difference in their lives. 

Consider the case of our patient, Marina K. from Moscow.  Two years ago, she was told that her melanoma became metastatic and there is no treatment that would help her.  Luckily, a new medication that modulated immune system began clinical trials in European and American clinics at about the same time.  Marina was able to enroll in the study in Italy, and even though it required her to travel back and forth every two weeks, there was simply no other choice that offered any hope. 

Then another tragedy struck.  Ten months into treatment, Marina's husband passed away.  She was left alone, without any income, and about a year more to go on her study.  Marina had to apply for help with charities.  There aren't many charities supporting adults in Russia, and hardly any help patients who have to travel abroad.  We were the only one with the programs that support patients like Marina.  Thanks to donors like you, we were able to help Marina with the costs of travel and lodging.  She is still remaining on the study.  In a few months, Marina is expected to complete her participation and we are very hopeful that she will be in a long-term remission from cancer.

If you would like to help more patients like Marina, join us on Wednesday, September 16th, starting at 9 am EDT.  All donations of $1,000 or less will receive a 30% match from GlobalGiving, but only until bonus funds last.  So donate early and grab that bonus for our patients :) 

Thanks again for all your help!

Our project had recently reached a halway point to our goal.  Thank you so much for helping us get here!  The money raised through this project go to patients who have traveled far from home and sometimes have no one else to ask for support.   

Our latest support recipient is the family of a four-year-old Sofia from Russia.  In 2013 she was diagnosed with acute lymphoblastic leukemia. At first, the disease did not respond to treatment and it took seven months of high-dose chemotherapy to finally get it under control. Bone marrow transplantation was also done due to high risk of the relapse. Unfortunately, just ten months later, Sofia spiked fever and lost her appetite. Control tests diagnosed return of leukemia. For Sofia, it meant that nothing else can be done in Russia, and  her parents took her to MD Anderson Cancer Center in Houston, Texas for the second opinion.  She is now undergoing treatment and will have to stay in Texas for a long time. 

We have recently provided the family with $1,500 to help pay the lodging bills. Thanks again for your support of the patients!