Each year, the parents of an estimated 75,800 children will hear the words “your child has cancer.” In October 2016, we were the parents who heard those words just two weeks after our daughter, Paige, turned 20 years old. Humbling to accept help, financially or otherwise. Humbling to receive unconditional love and support from family, friends, and even strangers. Humbling to discover that no one fights alone. Paige has an affinity for bees, specifically the bumblebee. Aerodynamically, bumblebees should not be able to fly, as their wings cannot carry all of their body weight, but somehow, they make flight possible. As parents and caregivers of a child with a cancer diagnosis, we find ourselves carrying more than we ever imagined. Managing jobs, finances, laundry, meals, family, doctor appointments, surgeries, hospital stays, scans, blood draws, treatments, medications, nights away from home, the list is limitless. We manage to incorporate it all into our daily routine; they become part of our new normal as we take on more than we thought possible. Just like the bumblebee. Our family has since been overwhelmed by the love and support from family, friends, co-workers, our community, and even complete strangers. We have been humbled by the outpouring, both emotionally and financially. We recognize that not all cancer families are as fortunate as we have been along our journey to be on the receiving end of such overwhelming support. The urge to pay things forward in the form of a nonprofit charitable organization has steadily grown over the past sixteen months and, as a result, the Humble Bumble Project was born. Many families will struggle at some point during their cancer journey with finances. At the time of diagnosis, families are not only forced to confront fears, make complex decisions, and cope with tremendous stress, but many are also suddenly faced with potential financial hardship. The additional burden of time and cost exacerbates the stress on families already struggling with the uncertainty of cancer. This is a side of cancer that many do not see or anticipate. Finances are strained by lost income as parents often must go on unpaid leave, work reduced hours, or even leave/lose their job to care for their child. At the same time, there are new, out-of-pocket expenses related to the child's care not covered by health insurance. Many families soon find it difficult to find enough money for such basic and integral needs such as gas for frequent trips to and from treatments, lodging and food expenses for extended hospital stays or treatments, parking or tolls, groceries for the home, household expenses such as utilities, child care for siblings, or even pet boarding expenses for siblings of the four-legged variety. The Humble Bumble Project is just getting started, designated as a 501(c)(3) public charity on July 17, 2018. The mission of the Humble Bumble Project is to alleviate even the slightest amount of financial burden faced by pediatric, adolescent, and adulthood cancer patients so patients and caregivers can focus on family rather than finance.
“When someone has cancer, the whole family and everyone who loves them does, too.” -Terri Clark
Please help the Humble Bumble Project put family over finances.
