If you or your loved ones have suffered a cancer diagnosis, this blog post contains critical information…
Sometimes, in a patient’s battle with cancer, they experience a gap in cancer care when cancer progresses to an advanced stage and all standard treatment options available fail them. Most often, despite their desire to continue fighting their disease, hospice is the recommended course of action. For these patients, medical breakthroughs offered through clinical trial participation are an alternative to hospice; however, there are many insurmountable barriers to participation for patients who are emotionally, physically, and financially spent. I know this because my husband Mike was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer at just 44 years old. It was our family experience with Mike’s cancer journey that revealed to us the many gaps that exist for patients who need access to clinical trials for a chance at hope and life.
In 2006 Lazarex Cancer Foundation was founded and the CARE program was created to bridge this gap and remove the barriers. Lazarex is a publicly funded 501(c)(3) charity and has served over 12,000 patients in cancer clinical trials by helping them find their clinical trial options, and reimbursing the out-of-pocket costs for patients so they can choose to participate without having to worry about how they will afford to get there. Sadly, 18 years later, Lazarex is still the only non-profit in the United States that helps patients and their travel companions get to their clinical trial sites for treatment.
This vital level of support is now at risk. We fundraise to support these patients on our own, but now the patient need is nearly double what it was just 3 years ago. We’ve temporarily stopped accepting new patients because we have an obligation to support the patients currently enrolled in our financial assistance program. We are turning away patients who want to participate in clinical trials and, sadly, we are often their last hope for staying engaged in their battle with cancer.
This situation is wrong in so many ways. As we work to change the landscape of clinical trial participation, patients need our help now more than ever and they deserve to have a community that is willing to fight for them. Will you please consider helping us help our patients in need? There are several ways to help… (click for more details)
· Help us plan for the future. Consider making a recurring donation at Lazarex.org. Even a little monthly adds up to a lot.
· Fundraise for us. We will help you create a fundraising page. The options are limitless!
· Employer Matching
· Stock Donations
· Join our Circle of Life — Love what we do but finances are tough right now? Leave us a Legacy Gift in your will. We can provide guidance on how to make it work well for your situation.
· Earn Free Flights for Our Patients When You Fly Southwest
· Donate your time as a volunteer
· Subscribe to our newsletter and share our content
This is truly a matter of life and death. Throughout the past 18 years, we have never experienced the level of patient need that we have today. Together we can make access to cancer trials a reality for patients in need. As someone who has had first-hand experience dealing with the barriers that prevent patients from participating in trials, I cannot stand the thought of closing down this vital program that means so much for so many patients and their families. Go to www.lazarex.org to learn more about how you can help us and how Lazarex Cancer Foundation can help you or a loved one at a time when you need it the most.
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