I was diagnosed with Stage 1 Breast Cancer in March of 2015. On April 14th, my bilateral mastectomy took place and in mid-June I started my chemotherapy regimen. Certainly hearing the news that you have cancer is shocking and daunting. There isn’t time to get yourself mentally prepared for what’s ahead; you just have to step forward and begin to fight. While all of the tests, the surgeries, and the chemotherapy are taking place, the bills are mounting. A lot of the expenses are covered by insurance but some are not. It’s been proven that the better the attitude, the better the chances of faster healing. Taking care of the financial end of things is stressful, no way around it, and it can easily affect your attitude in a negative way.
To know that there were resources in our community that exist for situations like mine was beyond comforting. Upon learning that financial assistance from Interfaith Community Outreach was one such resource, I met with Jenniffer Albanese, the Executive Director of ICO, who quickly put me at ease and assured me that help was available. Her calm yet spirited manner was exactly what I needed at that moment. ICO helped me pay my rent for three months and assisted with my transportation expenses.
I couldn’t be more grateful to Jenniffer and the front office staff and volunteers at Interfaith Community Outreach for providing assistance during such a critical time for me and so many others.
Providing that sense of relief helped to keep my mind positive and I was able to put more of my energy toward my fight to be cancer free.
