Our Beginnings
Christopher Colangelo
Christopher Colangelo, the eldest child of James and Andrea Colangelo, was born on April 15, 1970 in Union, New Jersey. He attended Hamilton Elementary School, where he participated in the school’s Gifted and Talented Program. Christopher also served as a 4H Club President and was a star athlete. Outgoing and sensitive, his family remembers him as someone who was always curious and quick to learn new things.
In March of 1978, Christopher was diagnosed with stage IV metastatic neuroblastoma. After surgery to remove a spinal tumor, his adrenal gland, and his kidney, Christopher underwent grueling chemotherapy for 2.5 years, as well as numerous rounds of radiation. When the regimen failed to destroy the cancer, Christopher participated in an experimental trial at Johns Hopkins Medical Center in Baltimore in June 1981. Despite these efforts, Christopher passed away on September 1, 1981 at 11 years old.
Christopher’s family remembers his tremendous care for others, happiness, and energy. He faced his illness with strength, humor, and courage beyond his years, and accepted his death with peace. Christopher’s spirit lives on through his family and in the work of Family Reach.
Kristine Morello-Wiatrak
Kristine Morello-Wiatrak, the first child of Richard and Marilyn Morello, was born on September 3, 1968. From an early age, she was always sunny, positive, and possessed a gift for making friends. As a teenager, Kristine excelled at school and pursued dance, gymnastics, soccer, and softball. She attended the College of New Jersey, where she majored in marketing and was the vice president of the marketing club while working a part-time job. Upon graduating with a 3.5 GPA, Kristine went to work as a sales representative at Eli Lilly, where she won several awards.
In 1990, Kristine met Christopher Wiatrak. After 5 years together, they were engaged. Just 6 months later, Kristine and Chris received unimaginable news — Kristine was diagnosed with Ewing’s sarcoma, a rare form of cancer.
She began treatment at Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center in New York, which became her second home. Kristine faced her worst nightmare without complaint. While in the hospital, she was a cheerleader for other patients during their struggles. She visited their rooms and rallied them with her radiant smile, her uncanny sense of humor, and her fighting spirit. Against all odds, she and Christopher were married on September 24, 1995.
Sadly, just months later, on December 14, 1995, Kristine passed away at just 27 years old. Before her journey came to an end, she requested that her family assist others facing cancer just as she had received so much financial and spiritual support from family, friends, and the community. Even after her death, her tremendous spirit of generosity lives on.
Rooted in forward-thinking and working together
The Colangelos and Morellos host their first fundraising event on the golf course
Founding families form the Family Reach Foundation
After more than 5 years of fundraising through grassroots efforts and providing support to families at Memorial Sloan-Kettering and Columbia Presbyterian Hospital in New York, Rick Morello proposed to his family and the Colangelos that it was time to take their efforts to the next level. They wrote some ideas on a napkin in the backyard, and by 2003, Family Reach became an official 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization.
CEO Carla Tardif joins the team
As Family Reach continued to grow, they hired their first employee to help lead them to new heights. Carla Tardif graciously stood at the helm, working tirelessly at her kitchen table in the early days and introducing Family Reach to her connections in the National Football League to expand the organization’s national footprint.
Raquel and cancer hero Mikalo leave their mark
Raquel and her son Mikalo were among the first families that Carla spoke to. They were living in a homeless shelter, and Mikalo was denied a life-saving bone marrow transplant because of their living situation. Family Reach covered the payments to secure them an apartment so Mikalo could receive the transplant, and their story continues to inspire Carla and the rest of the team.
Reach Athletes hit the ground running
Founded by Kenji Freedman in 2008, Reach Athletes were originally known as Reach Riders. There was a blizzard on the day of their first cycling event, yet all 40 of them showed up and made their miles count for families facing cancer. This unparalleled spirit continues to fuel today’s Reach Athletes through marathons, cycling events, yoga classes, and more.
Cancer hero Bethany and family leave their mark
Bethany and her family were among the first to become beloved Family Reach advocates. After receiving support from Family Reach and making it through treatment with flying colors, Bethany and her family attended events, shared their story in a video, stayed in touch to share heartwarming life updates with our team, and more.
Harrison & Star elevates the Family Reach branding
Mario Muredda, H&S CEOAfter attending a few events where Harrison & Star was a sponsor, Carla asked the agency’s CEO, Mario Muredda, to have coffee with her when she was in New York. Before she knew it, Mario agreed to take Family Reach on as a pro-bono client and his team helped elevate Family Reach’s brand to solidify the organization’s national reach.
Carla meets Chef Ming Tsai and Cooking Live is born
After hosting a family that Family Reach supported at his restaurant, Blue Dragon, Chef Ming Tsai was inspired to do more for families facing cancer through food. He created Cooking Live, an iconic event that brings together chefs, celebrities, and philanthropists in support of Family Reach and the families we serve.
The Merrigan Foundation joins the family
Nicole Merrigan and her family created the Maribeth Merrigan Foundation in honor of her sister who passed from a rare metastatic sarcoma. When Nicole found out about Family Reach, she reached out to Carla Tardif and their conversation led to a partnership between the Merrigan Foundation and Family Reach, as well as the start of Nicole’s tenure in managing our Family Relations department.
Family Reach serves over 1,000 families in one year
As the organization continued to grow, the team celebrated the milestone of serving 1,600 families in 2014. This was a 56.25% increase from the 900 families supported in 2013.
Family Council meets for the first time
The Family Council is a group of patients and caregivers who previously received support from Family Reach and now serve as advisors on programs and initiatives to help us further support families. Beyond attending quarterly meetings and focus groups, they’re also ambassadors who help spread the Family Reach mission to their networks.
The Biden Cancer Moonshot invites Family Reach to the world’s stage
In response to Vice President Biden’s call for collaboration, Carla visited the White House to solidify Family Reach’s involvement in the Biden Cancer Moonshot. The project pushed Family Reach to become a more solutions-based organization, eventually leading to the Financial Treatment Program that focuses on areas critical to cancer patients’ financial health.
Family Reach hosts the first Imagine Session
The annual Imagine Sessions were born out of the idea that together, we can do more for the cancer community. The think-tank events bring together the brilliant minds of thoughts leaders, social workers, researchers, patients, caregivers, advocates, and partners from a vast array of industries to collaborate on solutions to the financial barriers of cancer.
Family Reach publishes its first financial guidebook
The organization’s involvement with the Biden Cancer Moonshot sparked a need for wrap-around services that included more than emergency grants. Starting with education, Family Reach worked with the Family Council and other partners to create a financial guidebook for families facing cancer.
The Financial Planning for Cancer program launches
Adding to a more comprehensive financial treatment plan for patients and caregivers, the Financial Planning for Cancer program pairs families with pro-bono Certified Financial Planner™ professionals for free financial advice. Today, we refer to this program as financial coaching.
AbbVie’s $5 million investment ignites incredible progress
AbbVie, a research-based global biopharmaceutical company, gave $5 million to Family Reach to support the organization’s program expansion. The investment would lead to sizable improvements to our solutions-based mission, expansions in our nationwide hospital outreach, and significant increases in the number of families we help annually.
The Financial Treatment Program becomes official
With integral support from our community and partners like AbbVie, Family Reach officially introduced the Financial Treatment Program at the Biden Cancer Summit. The comprehensive program includes financial education, resource navigation, financial coaching, and emergency relief to help families overcome the financial barriers standing between them and treatment.
The LiFT Network launches for game-changing nonprofit collaboration
Family Reach launched The LiFT Network to unite like-minded cancer nonprofits in the fight against the financial crisis that follows a cancer diagnosis. The one-of-a-kind collective deepens our impact on the cancer community by expanding the reach of the Financial Treatment Program to more patients and families across the country.
Serving families in all 50 states and D.C. solidifies national reach
After steadily reaching families in more states each year, Family Reach officially served patients in all 50 states in 2018. This nationwide reach continued each year thereafter.
John Krasinski raises $500,000 for Family Reach on his birthday
When film and television star John Krasinski decided to dedicate his 40th birthday to Family Reach, we knew it was going to be a game-changing campaign. What became known as #JKBday helped spread our mission to new audiences and raised a whopping $500,000 for the patients and families we serve.
COVID-19 sparks the We See You campaign
When the COVID-19 pandemic clouded the world in fear and uncertainty, the financial needs of cancer patients increased exponentially. We created the #WeSeeYou campaign to raise critical funds to meet those deep needs, spread awareness, and let the cancer community know they weren’t alone.
Family Reach refreshes its logo
After 25 years, Family Reach needed a new, grown-up look to reflect the organization’s evolution and progress. We put away the crayon, laid to rest the lowercase letters, and stepped into a refreshed logo that embodied a renewed strength and determination to tackle the next 25 years.
Family Reach launches the Cancer Equity Initiative
In the organization’s 25th year, Family Reach deepened the focus on a mission born out of disparities. The Cancer Equity Initiative is our commitment to providing equitable access to our financial support services, especially to those most affected by socioeconomic disparities.
Elevating patient and caregiver voices
Everything we do at Family Reach goes back to the families we serve, and we’re constantly listening and learning from our patients and caregivers. From sharing their stories through blogs, events, and webinars to providing their pivotal feedback on our patient materials, our family voices are critical to moving our mission forward.
More about Family Reach
Our Mission
Our Approach
Through comprehensive solutions and thoughtful collaborations, we’re attacking the issue of financial toxicity from a variety of angles for long-term systemic change.
Coming Soon!
Our Impact
We’re constantly measuring our solutions to understand where our funds go and paint a clear picture of who we’re reaching, the impact of our services on cancer journeys, and opportunities for improvement.
Looking back on 25 years
Grab some tissues! Here’s a heartwarming look at the past, including some of the incredible families we’ve served and the generous supporters who embraced our mission along the way.
Christopher Colangelo’s passing inspires his family
Kristine-Morello Wiatrak’s passing inspires her family
The Colangelos and Morellos host their first fundraising event on the golf course
Founding families form the Family Reach Foundation
CEO Carla Tardif joins the team
Raquel and cancer hero Mikalo leave their mark
Reach Athletes hit the ground running
Cancer hero Bethany and family leave their mark
Harrison & Star elevates the Family Reach branding
Mario Muredda, H&S CEO
Carla meets Chef Ming Tsai and Cooking Live is born
The Merrigan Foundation joins the family
Family Reach serves over 1,000 families in one year
Family Council meets for the first time
The Biden Cancer Moonshot invites Family Reach to the world’s stage
Family Reach hosts the first Imagine Session
Family Reach publishes its first financial guidebook
The Financial Planning for Cancer program launches
AbbVie’s $5 million investment ignites incredible progress
The Financial Treatment Program becomes official
The LiFT Network launches for game-changing nonprofit collaboration
Serving families in all 50 states and D.C. solidifies national reach
John Krasinski raises $500,000 for Family Reach on his birthday
COVID-19 sparks the We See You campaign
Family Reach launches the Cancer Equity Initiative
Elevating patient and caregiver voices
CEI Mission
To ensure that any family facing cancer - regardless of their race, ethnicity, or income level - has equitable access to the financial resources that remove barriers to care.
CEI Vision
Give all patients and families the same chance of surviving cancer and its financial side effects.
Achieving cancer equity through financial intervention
The Cancer Equity Initiative (CEI) will evolve with the needs of the most under-resourced and financially vulnerable populations in the cancer community. Our work begins with a focus on engaging, reaching, and serving members of Black and Hispanic cancer communities because of the unique financial barriers they face.
Expected community outcomes
Expand access to effective financial interventions
Reduce financial distress
Improve access and adherence to treatment, including clinical trials
Our Roadmap
Develop organizational capacity and cultural competency
- Solicit feedback on accessibility and inclusivity from community voices within our Family Council, National Strategic Council and patient/caregiver focus groups
- Revise and repackage patient-facing materials to prioritize health literacy, cultural competency, and translation
- Adapt our program delivery model, including our application, financial needs assessment, and outreach strategies
Improve reach and engagement among Black and Hispanic families
- Deliver health literacy and cultural competency trainings to Family Reach staff
- Develop partnerships with Black and Hispanic community organizations
- Lead collaborative financial outreach workshops to increase FTP referrals
- Launch targeted FTP pilots at historically underserved cancer treatment sites” as the second bullet underneath step 2 of our roadmap
Improve the impact of the Financial Treatment Program (FTP)
- Benchmark our existing reach, engagement, and impact
- Conduct patient and caregiver surveys throughout CEI efforts
- Leverage evaluations to inform continued program enhancements and expansions
Racial and ethnic disparities in the financial burden of cancer
Black and Hispanic cancer patients in low-income brackets are more likely to face extreme financial hardship.
Cancer patients are more likely to experience financial hardship if they are low-income, people of color, or less educated1
Hispanic and Black patients are less likely to be insured, leading to later-stage diagnoses and worse treatment outcomes3
Barriers to screenings and treatment like housing and food insecurities are reported most frequently by low-income families2
Hispanic and Black patients are more likely to skip treatment to save money4
“Sometimes not having insurance and the lack of respect and empathy for people’s backgrounds makes things harder for people to receive treatment. Even with a Spanish translator, there are long medical terms or things that are too hard to explain. Things get lost. It takes a toll.”
— Marisela, sister of pediatric cancer patient Estrellita
Collaborating with thought leaders and community voices
As a historically white-led organization, we recognize the critical need to bring in the views of communities who have not previously had a seat at our leadership table. The community voice – from the patient to experts in the space – comes first.
Community Council
Including the voices of patients and caregivers.
National Strategic Council
Community Partners
Join the Cancer Equity Initiative
If you’re interested in getting involved with the Cancer Equity Initiative as a partner or collaborator, please fill out this inquiry form and we will be in touch.
References
- Han X, Zhao J, Zheng Z, de Moor JS, Virgo KS, Yabroff KR. Medical Financial Hardship Intensity and Financial Sacrifice Associated with Cancer in the United States. Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev. 2020;29(2):308-317. doi:10.1158/1055-9965.EPI-19-0460
- Bona K, Blonquist TM, Neuberg DS, Silverman LB, Wolfe J. Impact of Socioeconomic Status on Timing of Relapse and Overall Survival for Children Treated on Dana-Farber Cancer Institute ALL Consortium Protocols (2000–2010). Pediatric Blood & Cancer. 2016;63(6):1012-1018. doi:https://doi.org/10.1002/pbc.25928
- Barnett, JC, & Berchick, ER. Current Population Reports, P60-260. Health Insurance Coverage in the United States: 2016.U.S. Government Printing Office, Washington, DC, 2017
- Lee M, Khan MM. Gender differences in cost-related medication non-adherence among cancer survivors. J Cancer Surviv. 2016;10(2):384-393. doi:10.1007/s11764-015-0484-5
