Letter to the Editor -
Dear Editor:
I am writing in response to the article by Michelle Stewart "Keep Some Money at Home" which appeared in the May 31st edition of The Aurora.
As the Chairman of the Board of Directors for the Dr. H. Bliss Murphy Cancer Care Foundation, I am proud to report that funds donated to our Foundation stay in this province to be used for cancer treatment equipment for Cancer Centres across province, and to provide supportive care programs for our patients.
We support the concept of Councillor Farrell that "money raised here could be set aside for the people of Labrador who are cancer patients" and I'd like to take a moment to tell you just one of the ways the Dr. H. Bliss Murphy Cancer Care Foundation provides assistance to those in the Labrador region.
In 2003, the Dr. H. Bliss Murphy Cancer Care Foundation established the Patient and Family Support Fund to assist cancer patients and their families who experience financial hardship as a result of a cancer diagnosis. The cost for travel and meals create unwanted stress for financially challenged cancer patients who are already trying to cope with the physical and emotional impact of this disease.
Each cancer patient applying to our Patient and Family Support Fund is assessed by a Social Worker of the Cancer Care Program. The primary objective of the Patient and Family Support Fund is to help patients navigate the provincial and federal programs they may qualify for and, if no alternate programs are identified, the Cancer Care Foundation provides direct financial assistance for costs related to cancer treatment.
This past year, over 420 families in Newfoundland and Labrador were assisted through our Patient and Family Support Fund - accounting for over $120,000 of funding that they would not have been able to access from any other source. Since 2006, 120 cancer patients and their families from the Labrador region of the province have availed of our Patient and Family Support Fund. 80% of the funding given to these cancer patients was earmarked for travel expenses back and forth to a Cancer Centre in this province.
The Patient and Family Support Fund of the Dr. H. Bliss Murphy Cancer Care Foundation has been, and continues to be, a great source of support for cancer patients and their families throughout Newfoundland and Labrador. Whether supporting a swimmer with the Northern Lights swim team for Swim for Hope, calling in a donation to the Garden of Hope Radio-thon or ordering a Sparkles of Hope bracelet - our organization is thankful for the longtime support of the residents of the Labrador West area.
By supporting the Dr. H. Bliss Murphy Cancer Care Foundation, you indeed are helping cancer patients and their families in your local community.
Sincerely,
Earl Ludlow, Chairman
Dr. H. Bliss Murphy Cancer Care Foundation
St. John's, NL
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