My name is Josie Jones. I am a pediatric oncology social worker at Banner Health Cardon Children’s Medical Center. I have been in this position since May of 2008. Prior to this I was working at another local hospital in a general pediatric ward. I worked there for five years. At that time I was also working with the oncology pediatric population.
There are several things I have learned about cancer during this last six years.
- First, cancer doesn’t discriminate.
- Cancer affects patients of every ethnic, financial, religious and age background.
- Cancer affects the young, the old and those in between.
- Cancer affects the rich, the poor, and those in between.
- Cancer affects every aspect of a person’s life.
- It affects their physical, emotional, financial, spiritual and social realm of their lives.
- It affects the patient, their parents, their siblings, their friends and their community.
In working with patients and their families I have encountered many families who struggle financially due cancer. Sometimes the parents lose their jobs because they have to be in the hospital with their child. Sometimes they don’t get paid for lost work hours. In working with families in these situations, I always look for resources in the community. I have to be diligent and make sure the family meets the criteria for the organization I’m referring them to.
I rely very heavily on Christopher’s Cure Hardship Fund. Christopher’s Cure Hardship Fund has been a great asset to my ‘resource list’ ever since I discovered it a couple of years ago. I have referred multiple families for financial assistance. The families I refer are those families who prior to ‘cancer’ had been doing okay financially. These are families who do not qualify for state or federal assistance. These are families who would fall through the cracks without the assistance of Christopher’s Cure Hardship Fund.
The assistance provided by Christopher’s Cure Hardship Fund allows these families to spend more time at the hospital without having to constantly worry about how they will pay their next bill. It gives the children an opportunity to have their parent at the hospital as much as possible. It also gives the families hope & confidence in the community at large.
Thank you Christopher’s Cure Hardship Fund for allowing me to refer families over.
Josie Jones