Cancer can have a huge strain on finances. Sometimes people opt out of therapy if they can’t afford to take time off work or they are often forced to cash in their RRSPs or use up their savings. Long-term disability insurance typically only makes up 60 per cent of a paycheque. Applying for any governmental financial assistance can take up to six months, and some of those funding options only last a few months. Meanwhile the bills pile up and some families are forced to declare bankruptcy, all on top of one member’s failing health. The costs that go along with the disease can sometimes be so overwhelming that a patient will decide not to have life-saving therapy like a transplant and instead opt to save travel costs by choosing a lesser treatment.
Thanks to individuals like you, patients and families are able to receive financial support during their treatment so they can focus on what matters most - healing. Last year, the Patient Financial Assistance Program was accessed more than 5,982 times by families across Alberta, thanks to your support.
Because of the financial aid I received, I was able to go through treatment without having to worry about money. I could focus on healing, and getting better for my sons. - Stella Hernandez