07/10/2019
Family Reach mission
The Beginnings:
Family Reach was established as a joint effort of the families of Christopher Colangelo and Kristine Morello-Wiatrak. In 1981, 11-year-old Christopher lost his battle with neuroblastoma. Kristine passed away in 1995 at 27 years old after fighting Ewing’s sarcoma, a pediatric type of cancer. The Colangelo and Morello-Wiatrak families were astounded by the expenses associated with treatment that compounded during the challenge of helping their loved one—transportation, special nutrition needs, day care, etc. Motivated by their personal experiences, both families independently sought to help others with the financial and emotional burdens of pediatric cancers.
In 1996, the families of Christopher and Kristine decided to combine forces. For 7 years, they provided support to families at Memorial Sloan-Kettering and Columbia Presbyterian Hospital in New York through grassroots efforts and fundraising. In 2003, the founders launched Family Reach as a formal 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization. Since that time, Family Reach has generated almost $14 million in gross contributions through annual events, special programs, individual donations, and corporate partners. Thousands of families fighting cancer have benefited from grants to help pay for critical nonmedical and medical expenses. Family Reach now serves the needs of families through prominent hospitals across the country, including Dana-Farber Cancer Institute in Boston, Johns Hopkins Children’s Center in Baltimore, and UCSF Benioff Children’s Hospital in San Francisco.
Mission:
Family Reach is a national nonprofit dedicated to alleviating the financial burden of cancer. Working with more than 400 top-tier hospitals and cancer centers nationwide, we provide immediate financial assistance, education and navigation to families before they hit critical breaking points. Our efficient, solutions-driven model bridges the gap between hospital and home, quickly providing the vital support families need to stay afloat.
Family Reach Who we are
• Alliviate the financial burden of cancer- what does that even mean?
1. Cancer is expensive- even if you have health insurance, middle class families- good jobs- own their own home, no one plans for cancer.
2. Dual/single household- cancer cuts households in half, unable to afford their daily expenses- expenses rise and income goes down.
3. Only one-third of cancer patients continue working fulltime after their diagnosis
4. Cancer patients are 2.65x more likely to go bankrupt than people without cancer
5. Cancer patients who file bankruptcy have a 79% greater risk of early mortality
6. 28% of patients are not filling prescriptions to save money
7.
-Family Reach was founded by two families back in 1996, 22 years ago, the Coangelos and the Morellos, when they both lost a child to cancer. During their battle, they were astounded by the expenses associated with cancer (and this was back in the 90’s, as we all know health care has only risen) both families were dual working households, but one parent has to put their career on hold to care for their sick child. The additional cancer expenses on top of the everyday expenses they were struggling to make because and united forces to shed light on this national crisis. The legacy and the memory of their children is honored because they were able to turn this tragedy into something positive.
8. - 400 hospitals nationally and have helped over 80,000 individuals served during their cancer battle.
Break it down
9. Your child isn’t feeling well and you take them to the doctor, the doctor isn’t sure what is going but recognizes it is an emergency and sends you to the emergency room. The next thing you know you are in the hospital for three months fighting a battle against an enemy that you totally unprepared for.
10. This is the story of so many of our families. It hits them like a ton of bricks and the only thing you know how to do is go into survival mode. The last thing you are thinking about is work or finances. You take a leave of absence or quit altogether because the need for care is 24/7.
11. Many households are dual income households, so your income just fell by 50%, but your expenses just sky rocked. Or it’s a single income household and your income just fell by 100%. This is nothing you can prepare for, you don’t prepare for cancer. But I will tell you what, you will do whatever it takes to ensure your child is getting the care they need, even if this means making risky decisions about finances.
- Our goal is to help families before they reach critical breaking points, we have coined the term Cancer Related Financial Toxicity, CRFT. 70% of adult cancer patients experience some type of CRFT during their battle which can have a direct on medical outcomes. We provide grants, education, navigation and assistance so families are able to land on their own two feet at the end of the cancer battle and put their life back together again.
- Our services are proactive and tangible– we educate and help families plan and navigate through treatment.
Why Get involved:
• Make a tangible difference in the lives of children and families battling cancer.
• Create awareness of the financial burden of cancer and how it affects the patient, caregivers and families in your community.
