To All of Our Supporters,
Listed below is an update on some families we have been helping since our last report.
We were contacted about 9-year-old Colin’s family several months after his diagnosis of lymphoblastic leukemia. Colin lives with his older sister and mom following the death of his dad several years ago. Finances became strained when mom developed health problems and was unable to work and care for Colin and his sister, so the family had to depend only on dad’s social security benefits. Rent and a dependable auto were their biggest concerns, so the Foundation paid multiple months of rent and helped the family purchase a used car.
Kelly was also diagnosed with lymphoblastic leukemia two years ago at the age of ten. As with many pediatric cancer patients, her course of treatment is a long one with upfront high dose chemotherapy with many hospitalizations and complications. At the time of their daughter’s diagnosis, both parents were working outside the home with mom working two jobs. Mom quit both jobs to care for her daughter and two other children in the home. The loss of income, even when mom was able to return to work at one job took a toll. The Foundation paid some overdue utility bills and made mortgage payments for multiple months.
The families we are asked to assist are just like most families, working hard to make ends meet and to manage the parents’ work schedules and school or day care schedules of their children. Little Adelynn was 18 months old when she was diagnosed with B Cell Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia late this Spring. Both parents were employed full time but mom had to take first paid, then unpaid leave following the diagnosis of their daughter. Adelynn was admitted to the hospital for an extended period following her diagnosis and during this time, the family began experiencing major problems with their HVAC system which prevented their house from being cooled as the temperatures rose. Mom and dad purchased window AC units to provide a temporary fix to get Adelynn home and had several contractors assess their HVAC problems. One of the contractors agreed to remove and replace the HVAC system, charging only for materials, because they understood the family’s situation with a sick child needing a climate-controlled environment before being allowed to remain at home. The Foundation covered the costs of the replacement so the family of four could concentrate on getting their little daughter and sister well.
As you can see, the scope of the Foundation’s assistance continues to range from the expected payment of rent or mortgage and utility bills to the purchase of a car and the replacement of an HVAC system. We thank the more than two hundred of you who joined us for our annual Cadillac Dinner several weeks ago and helped us raise funds so we can keep pace with the increasing need for assistance we’re seeing in our community this year. If you participate in Lancaster’s ExtraGive, this year on November 22, keep us in mind. We truly appreciate all of your continued support!
Most sincerely,
The Board and Volunteers of the Jeff Musser Foundation