Collaboration Spotlight: 5 Shining Examples of Coming Together To Help Cancer Patients

Reading Time: 4 minutes

If you know Family Reach, you know that “together” is one of our favorite words. We use it a lot because we believe in working together to change today’s financial reality of cancer. There are too many gaps to fill alone, which makes collaboration the key to making the cancer care system more whole for anyone facing a diagnosis.

With this in mind, we’d like to introduce you to a new blog series: “Collaboration Spotlight.” These roundups highlight some of the latest collaborations with our nationwide community of partners and supporters.

This first edition showcases a variety of fundraisers, events, and resources that we collaborated on so far in 2022. Thank you to our collaborators for making these possible!

Share Post
Tweet This
Share Post

1

Tia Stokes + Family Reach: Birthday Fundraiser

An online influencer and mom of five, Tia Stokes shares her cancer journey with her followers through uplifting videos that often include dancing and inspiring advocacy. She found out about Family Reach through our friend Colleen Ballinger, who graciously raises money for us on her birthday each year.

Tia was inspired to join the party and hosted a fundraiser of her own to celebrate her 36th birthday on January 10. She rallied her community to raise $12,600 for Family Reach and introduced thousands of new people to our mission. Cheers to Tia!

2

PAN Foundation + Family Reach: How to Protect Patients From Financial Hardship Webinar​​

On February 1, 2022, Family Reach joined the PAN Foundation in an episode of their financial navigation webinar series. Our very own Jackie Hess, MSW, LSW, Senior Manager of Programs Innovation, presented to a group of about 250 healthcare professionals to share our best strategies for helping families avoid and reduce medical debt while going through cancer.

“My biggest takeaway from this webinar is that healthcare providers are eager to learn best practices in order to help their patients and families navigate the financial challenges that come with a cancer diagnosis — but often lack the training and/or time to incorporate this aspect of care into their work among all of their other responsibilities,” Jackie shared. “It’s so important for hospitals and care centers to invest in proper staff and training to be sure that patients are receiving the correct guidance in preventing or reducing financial hardships, as doing so can ultimately improve health outcomes.”

3

3. Karyopharm + Family Reach: Family Reach Sessions

Family Reach Sessions is a free webinar series first launched in partnership with our friends at Karyopharm. In the third episode on February 22, the panelists shared their various perspectives about the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on people with cancer and how patient support services like free financial coaching can help.

4

Mango Juice + Family Reach: Ambassador Support in the Music Scene

Mango Juice is a rapper, University of Wisconsin student, and Family Reach Ambassador who uses his platform to raise awareness for the cancer community. In a recent interview with FLEX music blog, Mango Juice shared more about his music and connection to our mission.

He was first inspired to become a Family Reach Ambassador when he created the Cari Ashford Cancer Relief Project in memory of his mom and wanted to support a cancer nonprofit through his Spotify profile.

“This project means everything to me,” he said. “I’ve always wanted to do something to make a difference and positive impact on people … and I knew a simple GoFundMe link wasn’t going to cut it.”

5

Cool Kids Campaign + Family Reach: Cool Kids Connection Winter 2022 Edition

Cool Kids Campaign provides academic, social, and emotional programming for families facing pediatric cancer, including a seasonal magazine that they distribute in pediatric oncology care centers. Family Reach contributed to the latest edition, which was themed around asking for help and recognizing the financial challenges of a diagnosis.

The article highlighted our top five tips for managing the financial side of pediatric cancer, including the medical and non-medical costs to consider, cost conversations with care teams, caregiving advice, and resources to lean on.

Sign up for our email list to stay updated on the latest Family Reach learnings and happenings.

Stevie Headshot (2 of 8)
Stevie Snow
Senior Creative and Brand Manager • Family Reach Team

Always walking the fine line between her right and left brain, Stevie brings her creative and strategic thinking to her role as Senior Creative and Brand Manager. Her work amplifies Family Reach’s voice and brings attention to the financial impacts of a cancer diagnosis.

Read more from Stevie

More From Our Blog

Sign up for Email Updates