Emergency Financial Assistance Fund Stories

You helped Felix’s mom pay their bills so Felix could receive the treatment he desperately needed

You helped a single mom focus on her 2-year-old son Felix who is battling cancer, instead of worrying about how she would pay the bills.

In March 2023, Felix was vomiting and acting off. His mom took him to the hospital, where a tumor was discovered in his central nervous system. Felix and his mom were flown from their home in South Dakota to receive treatment in Colorado.

Because Felix requires care around the clock, his mom has not been able to work since they left their home.

On top of the financial stress, Felix’s older brother stayed home and is being taken care of by their grandmother, and the family has been separated the entire time.

Because of your support, Felix’s family received financial assistance to ensure their bills were paid and Felix got the care he needed.

*Name has been changed to protect the family’s privacy

Thanks to you, Charles and his family received the financial help they needed

You helped a family focus on their 5-year-old son Charles and his cancer treatment instead of worrying about how they would pay the bills.

Charles was diagnosed with a nephroblastoma tumor when he was just 2 years old in August 2019. He underwent 11 days of radiation, surgery to remove his right kidney, and nine months of treatment. Two years later, another tumor was discovered behind his lungs. Charles was enrolled in a clinical trial and unfortunately relapsed again.

Charles and his family live in southern Colorado, so they have been traveling over 300 miles to Denver for his treatment over the past four years.

Charles requires round-the-clock care, so his mom has been unable to work since he was diagnosed. The bills started piling up for the single-income family. And then Charles’s dad lost his job at the end of 2022.

Because of your support, Charles’s family received financial assistance to ensure their bills were paid and Charles got the care he needed.

*Name has been changed to protect the family’s privacy

Thanks to you, Emiliana received the treatment she needs

You helped ensure a teenage girl named Emiliana was able to receive treatment for brain cancer despite her family’s financial difficulties.

Emiliana was diagnosed with a brain tumor when she was 17 years old. She underwent two surgeries that confirmed she had a diffuse midline glioma, a deadly type of brain cancer. She received two months of radiation in hopes of being able to participate in a clinical trial.

Emiliana started experiencing serious side effects from the brain tumor, including difficulty speaking, muscle weakness, left side paralysis, double vision, and seizures.

Emiliana’s mother needed to be home to take care of Elia, and she missed so much work that she lost her job.

The bills started piling up for Emiliana’s single-income family.

Because of your support, Emiliana’s family received financial assistance to ensure their bills were paid and Emiliana could receive cancer treatment.

*Name has been changed to protect the family’s privacy

Bella received the treatment she needs because of you

You helped ensure a young girl named Isabelle could receive cancer treatment despite her family’s financial difficulties.

At the end of 2020, 6-year-old Isabelle along with her two older siblings and their single mother were celebrating the purchase of their very own home. The celebration didn’t last long. Less than two weeks later, their family’s life was turned upside down by cancer.

Bella has had asthma and a cough for as long as she can remember. But then, she tested positive for COVID-19. Bella’s cough had gotten worse, so doctors did a CT scan of her chest.

The scan revealed a large mass in the space between her lungs. The mass was compressing her heart and lungs, limiting blood flow and making it hard for Bella to breathe.

Bella was admitted to the hospital. Additional testing showed that there were other masses in her muscles and brain. She was diagnosed with poorly differentiated metastatic sarcoma.

Treatment started right away. Bella’s cancer is rare and very complex. She endured intensive chemotherapy and radiation 5 days a week.

Late last year, Bella’s doctors identified a new treatment with a radioactive drug. For about a week after each dose, Bella is unable to physically touch anyone.

The intensity of Bella’s treatment means that she is at the hospital for appointments 5 days a week, along with planned and unplanned stays in the hospital.

Because of this, Bella’s mom is unable to work. The bills were piling up. She was out of money to take care of her three children.

Because of your support, Bella’s family received financial assistance to ensure their bills were paid and Bella could receive her cancer treatment.

*Name has been changed to protect the family’s privacy

You helped ensure Dakota continued receiving the treatment she needs

Thanks to you, a teenage girl named Dakota was able to continue receiving treatment for leukemia despite her family’s financial difficulties.

Dakota is a junior in high school. She lives in a small town on the Western Slope with her mom and older brother. When she was diagnosed with Philadelphia positive acute lymphoblastic leukemia last year, Dakota spent two months more than 300 miles from home at Children’s Hospital Colorado. Dakota’s mom stayed with her and was unable to work that entire time.

The bills started piling up for their single-income family.

Dakota got out of the hospital and returned home, but her multi-year treatment was just beginning. On top of regular doctor visits and therapy appointments each week, Dakota and her mom make the 5-hour drive to Denver for treatment one to two times each month.

Most of Dakota’s healthcare is outside of the town where they live and requires travel, which means that Dakota’s mom can only work part-time. Even working as much as she possibly can, Dakota’s mom is short every month.

Because of your support, Dakota’s family received financial assistance to ensure the family’s bills were paid and Dakota could continue receiving her cancer treatment.

*Name has been changed to protect the family’s privacy

You helped Lily’s family keep their home while she received cancer treatment

Your support helped Lily’s family keep their home during a very scary and difficult time dealing with Covid and Lily’s cancer treatment.

Lily is 10 years old. She is being treated for an aggressive form of Hodgkin Lymphoma at Children’s Hospital Colorado.

Lily is one of three kids in her family. When Covid hit, both her mom and dad lost hours at their jobs. Then, the hospital policy that only one parent could accompany a child added another layer of difficulty for her family’s ability to make ends meet. One of Lily’s parents needed to be at home with her siblings while the other was with Lily at the hospital for her treatment.

Thanks to your support, Lily’s family avoided having their home foreclosed on. You helped them maintain the comfort of home Lily needed to get through cancer treatment and gave them important time to get back on their feet.

Lily’s mom says, “We are forever grateful for the help we received. We needed to focus on our baby healing and you helped us do just that.”

Thanks to you, Lily was able to receive treatment and have a home to return to!

*Name has been changed to protect the family’s privacy

You’ve made a huge difference for a Sudanese refugee family of 7 affected by kids’ cancer and the pandemic

Your support of the MAF Emergency Financial Assistance Fund, introduced earlier this year in light of the widespread negative impacts of COVID-19, has helped a local family affected by pediatric cancer.

Abdo is 16 years old. He and his family are refugees from Sudan. Abdo was diagnosed with acute myeloid leukemia in September and is in treatment at Children’s Hospital Colorado.

Abdo has four siblings – three older brothers and a younger sister – who all live with their parents in Aurora. Abdo’s mom stays at home to take care of the family and the younger kids who are still in school. Abdo’s dad and one brother lost their jobs because of COVID-19 and are trying to find new jobs.

Right now, their family of 7 is living off one income from Abdo’s brother who works as a security guard. As you might imagine, Abdo’s cancer diagnosis at a time of immense financial insecurity has taken its toll on the entire family.

Thankfully, your support of the Emergency Financial Assistance Fund has given Abdo and his family help to pay their bills so that they can focus on helping Abdo overcome cancer.

*Name and image have been changed to protect the family’s privacy.

Please help other kids’ cancer families facing financial strain by donating to the MAF Emergency Financial Assistance Fund below: