Be an "everyone".

"Thank you for all you have done for me. 

Having cancer is the pits, but with you and everyone on my side 
I can handle it!"

When we get notes like this in the mail, we are reminded that the work we do every day not only helps cancer patients pay the bills and buy their medications and put gasoline in their cars... we're not just providing information about cancer to individuals across Northwest Arkansas and helping them receive cancer screenings when their doctor says they need them... we are also providing hope. We are connecting people to a support system that helps them see past the treatment plan and the bills and the time off work. We let them know that others have been right where they are today, and they have made it through.

We let them know that they can become survivors, too.

We'd like to invite you to be part of our "everyone" and help us make a difference in a cancer patient's life. You can help us provide medications and gas cards and screenings...

You can provide hope.

Join us at Harps and Price Cutter stores in Northwest Arkansas between August 3rd and 12th, and when you check out you'll be given the opportunity to make a donation to Hope Cancer Resources. Choose an amount to add to your grocery bill, and the store will do the rest. It's simple, and for the people we help, it's life-changing.

• $5.00 can pay a co-pay for a prescription medication.
• $25.00 buys a gas card to help someone who lives in Berryville get to their daily radiation treatments in Fayetteville.
• $150.00 pays an electric bill so a patient doesn't have to skip buying groceries for their family that week.
• $450.00 pays the rent for a family whose sole bread-winner is on medical leave to treat her cancer.

In addition to hosting us for this annual fundraiser, Harps and Price Cutter stores are also presenting sponsors for our annual gala, the Bill Fleeman Gentlemen of Distinction. Their support has been vital as we have increased the visibility and financial support for our programs serving Northwest Arkansas. We're grateful for the efforts of their management and staff, and their commitment to Hope Cancer Resources and the people we serve.

Quarterly Update

How does an organization in the business of helping people with a scary, sometimes fatal disease report a "great first quarter" without sounding morbid or insensitive? It is, admittedly, a unique position to be in.

On one hand, the fact that more people are being served by our programs means that more people are being diagnosed with cancer in our community. On the other hand, those same people - if our programs were not available - would still be on the frightening and often confusing journey that is cancer treatment and recovery. The difference is that without our services, many of them would be required to choose between paying their mortgage and buying their monthly prescriptions, or be unable to get to their treatments because their cancer made them unable to drive.

We can report that we have had a great first quarter because we have been fortunate enough to serve 462 new patients being seen in local oncology clinics with the compassionate, professional cancer support and education that we are bound by our mission statement to provide.

Our patient assistance staff are the first in line to help when a patient requests an application for services. Our licensed social workers begin providing emotional support the moment they greet a new patient. From there, we are available as much or as little as needed. Since January 1st of this year, we have provided the following to cancer patients and their families in Northwest Arkansas:

$18,328.00 in direct prescription assistance;

Assistance through drug company assistance programs valued at $52,398.00;

$55,365.00 in direct emergency financial assistance;

$16,500.00 in gasoline cards;

3708 hours of emotional support services to 927 patients;

193 hours of Spanish interpretation;

668 van trips to and from appointments for a total of 39,743 miles.

Our health educators are out in the community every week sharing information on prevention, risks, awareness and our services to civic groups, schools, health fairs and local companies. Their services are vital to the health and well-being of our community... in fact, the screenings that they help secure for patients in need or provide at our annual screenings in our office can save lives. All of our educational services - as with all of our assistance and support - are provided at no cost to the patient. Since January, our health educators have provided: 

Education and prevention information to 128 individuals;

Smoking cessation counseling valued at $4,247.00 to 60 individuals; 

188 cancer screenings valued at $122,813.00.

Also in the first quarter of 2012, we held several small fundraising events in the community. You may have seen us on Facebook and Twitter talking about our events at Fish City Grill in Rogers, Ozark Natural Foods in Fayetteville and Ruby Tuesday in Fayetteville and Bentonville. They all hosted us for some great friend-making and awareness-building opportunities. Thank you to everyone who came out to see us or supported us silently at those events!

Finally, as a not-for-profit organization, the support we receive from local businesses and individuals is vital. We are grateful for the following grants that affirm that our work is vital and valued in our community.

Arkansas Blue and You Foundation

Carroll County Community Foundation

Komen for the Cure - Ozark Affiliate

Willard and Pat Walker Charitable Foundation

Winthrop Rockefeller Cancer Institute Auxiliary

See, it HAS been a great first quarter! Thank you for your support that allows us to do what we do in Northwest Arkansas. We are humbled every day by comments and notes such as this one:  

"The cookbook arrived today - I'll enjoy looking through it! Hope Cancer Resources helped two of my brothers as they battled cancer, and it is nice to have a remembrance of your organization. It was a great encouragement to my brothers to receive financial help... Thank you for all you do!"

Making an Impact

In the busy world we live in it is often easy to ignore the possibility of a sudden onset of illness. It is easy to under-appreciate the job we go to Monday-Friday each week and our paycheck that may not provide us with a lot of luxuries, but at least pays the bills. It is easy to assume that you will continue to be able to walk out to your car, turn the key, and drive where ever you need to go. Until you are actually faced with a diagnosis of cancer, it is simply too easy to pretend that it will never happen to you or someone you love.

But for many cancer patients, their illness is almost all they can think about. The "normal" stuff of life like bills and groceries take a back seat at times. At Hope Cancer Resources, our mission is simple: We provide compassionate, professional cancer support and education in the Northwest Arkansas region today and tomorrow. Every day, we meet new patients at Highlands Oncology clinics in Washington and Benton counties. And every day someone finds out, after speaking to our staff, that a seemingly insurmountable obstacle might be smaller than they originally thought. We thought the holiday season would be a good time to share some of their stories.

E. is an fifty something breast cancer survivor. Over a period of about six years she has nursed two aging parents, lost one to illness, and experienced a double mastectomy herself as a result of her cancer diagnosis. Prior to her reconstructive surgery, E. experienced some not unexpected anxiety. As an independent and self-reliant woman, she was reluctant to share these feelings with friends. As her surgery drew near, she visited with one of our social workers and explored a number of the issues provoking her anxieties. According to her counselor, their sessions were tinged with poignant revelations and considerable humor. About two months after her surgery, E. made the following comment at the end of the session. “I like coming here. I’ve noticed that we don’t talk about my cancer anymore. We talk about life.” E. fully embraced all aspects of her life. Cancer was just one of them.

A 15-month-old child was diagnosed with cancer and the mother was required to take her child to Little Rock for treatments. One morning, when she was preparing to leave for Little Rock for an appointment, her car would not start. She quickly worked to find out if the car could be repaired and was told a part would have to be ordered. Desperate to get her baby to the appointment, she called us. We were able to help her rent a car for the trip and pay for fuel that day so the family could get to the appointment.

M. is a 45 year old woman that we met after her diagnosis of colon cancer. She had suffered a traumatic brain injury several years before and had been forced to go on disability as a result. Her husband was also out of work due to being laid off his job of many years. Due to the couple living on a very limited income they were concerned about the cost of driving the 100-mile round trip for the numerous doctor appointments, scans and chemo treatments that would be required for her treatment. Our social worker was able to provide the couple with fuel assistance to and from these appointments which helped ease the financial strain caused by the patient’s illness. The social worker continued to check in with the couple as they were suffering from emotional distress as well. The patient’s husband shared that his wife enjoyed these conversations and even looked forward to them as she was isolated due to her illness. After the patient finished her treatment the couple expressed their extreme gratitude not only for the financial support, but also the emotional support provided by the social worker and the entire Hope Cancer Resources team.

A 1-year-old boy diagnosed was with a fast-growing, highly malignant tumor. A social worker at Arkansas Children's Hospital gave our phone number to his grandparents - his legal guardians - as they were in need of financial assistance. The grandmother had recently lost her job due to the amount of time she needed to take off work to drive to Little Rock for her grandson's treatments. Recently, the grandfather was laid off and has been on unemployment looking for another job. They were starting to fall behind on bills and needed assistance. The grandfather told our social worker that the biggest needs were rent, car payment, utilities and food. We referred him to local food pantries for essential items, and we assisted with their rent, car payment, a water bill and gasoline to help them get the child to his medical appointments in Little Rock.

Gifts made to Hope Cancer Resources throughout the year - no matter the size - all contribute to the success of these patients and hundreds of others who turn to us when they need assistance as they undertake one of the most difficult journeys of their lives: the journey toward becoming a Cancer Survivor.

$10 pays for a necessary prescription. $25 provides a gasoline card to a patient who might not get to their treatment without it. $50 pays a water bill. $100 pays a gas bill. $250 provides a car payment. $500 pays a mortgage for a month. Every dollar of every gift is put directly to use in Northwest Arkansas, allowing us to assist patients and their families with our no-cost services throughout the year.

Since January of this year, we have made an impact on the financial and emotional well-being of over 2,000 individuals in our community.

• Prescription assistance in the amount of $40,749 provided directly, with additional assistance valued at $156.244 offered through pharmaceutical companies.
• Emergency financial assistance in the amount of $169,934 provided to patients to pay for utilities, rent/mortgages, and car payments.
• $52,395 in gas cards distributed to patients to help with travel to and from appointments.
• Our Save-A-Life program provided 503 cancer screenings valued at $318,301 to uninsured and under-insured patients whose physicians ordered procedures they could not afford.
• 537 hours of Spanish interpretation services were provided to Spanish-speaking patients at medical appointments related to their cancer diagnosis.
• Our transportation service drove patients 119,608 miles to and from their appointments.

We hope that as you consider your charitable giving for 2012, you will put Hope Cancer Resources on your list. Whether it be a one-time gift or a recurring monthly donation, we - and the people we serve - are truly grateful for your generosity. We do what we do because of donors like you, and for patients like these: 

“Hope Cancer Resources went above and beyond when helping me. I can’t think of a single thing you could have done to make me feel any more important, personal, loved and taken care of.”

Story of Hope - Kyle Slone

When Natalie Slone walked through the front door of her new home in June of 2009, she was feeling good. As a single mom of four kids, she had worked hard to become a homeowner on one income. Her career as a photographer was going well, and she was feeling settled and optimistic.

Then, in October, Natalie's employer informed her through tears that he had to lay her off. She understood, but knew it was going to be tough. She started looking for a new job and relied on her savings and unemployment to pay the bills.

Fast-forward to a day in late December: Natalie's 14-year-old son, Kyle, complained of a mysterious pain. He was uncomfortable, but still managed to spend some time with friends that evening. The next day, he claimed the pain was so bad he couldn't get out of bed. Natalie's intuition told her something was really wrong. She picked him up after work and took him to the hospital, where the journey began.

Two days before Christmas, Kyle - an otherwise healthy, outgoing teenage boy - was diagnosed with cancer. The decision was made to manage the tumor with surgery and avoid chemo or radiation therapy. Natalie says she thought were "good to go." But, nine months later, a follow-up CT scan discovered activity in his lymph nodes as well. A course of chemotherapy was scheduled.

After two months of chemotherapy, the lymph nodes had not shrunk to the size the doctors were hoping for, and it was speculated that a risky surgical procedure might be necessary to remove the affected chemo-resistant nodes. In addition to the risk-factor of the surgery, it was not going to be covered by ARKids, the medical insurance coverage that Kyle had. Natalie had a lot to worry about.

Finally, after almost a year into the battle, the family saw a glimmer of hope. On the third visit to meet with surgeons, scans showed that the nodes in question had decreased in size and were no longer the threat they had been. The decision was made to continue to watch it closely but to cancel the surgery.

Enola Bunton, patient advocate at Hope Cancer Resources, introduced Natalie to our patient assistance programs and began the process of applying for emergency financial assistance. Enola kept in close contact with Natalie throughout the course of Kyle's treatment and recovery, and we were able to offer gas cards for travel as well as help with two mortgage payments. Natalie says "It was fantastic to have her call and check on things." Without the financial assistance we were able to provide, she thinks they would have lost their home.

Today, Kyle is a healthy 16-year-old. He has learned to drive, is growing back the hair he lost to chemotherapy, and making up for a missed semester of high school. He gets monthly CT scans for now, but will celebrate one year post-treatment in November.

And, every day, he gets to walk through the front door of the home his mom worked so hard to provide.

If you or someone you know is undergoing cancer treatments and is having a hard time making ends meet, please contact us for more information on our patient assistance programs at 479-361-5847.