The negative financial impacts after a breast cancer diagnosis can be strenuous, especially for those already in a precarious financial situation prior to being diagnosed. Already having to deal with the overwhelming feeling of being diagnosed with breast cancer, patients should be able to focus on their health and not have the added stress of dealing with their financial situation. That is why we created FinancialNavigator, an online database of various financial assistance programs across Canada.
Depending on your situation, your financial needs can come in different forms, from needing money to pay for rent, to needing help with paying for treatments, to requiring help with parking costs when you go for cancer treatments. To highlight the various types of programs listed in FinancialNavigator, we have put together this blogpost series. All the highlighted programs below are available to individuals in all provinces and territories, unless otherwise noted. This is not an exhaustive list all of programs in these categories but is meant to highlight the types of financial help that can be found in our FinancialNavigator database. Visit FinancialNavigator for all available financial assistance programs.
In this post, we highlight five programs that provide experiences, travel assistance, and home services.
Hope Air
What you get:
- A free flight,
- a Confederation Bridge toll pass (for PEI residents),
- or a PEI ferry pass (for PEI residents), to travel to your medical appointment.
Eligibility requirements:
- Canadians in financial need who require medical treatment not available in their home communities.
Mélanie's Way
What you get:
- A personalized experience, a "wish", that brings joy and creates memories for a woman and her loved ones.
Eligibility requirements:
- Young women with metastatic or recurrent cancer.
Little Pink Houses of Hope
What you get:
- A free week at a beach house,
- a schedule that includes a meal and an activity each day,
- as well as a stipend for additional food expenses.
Eligibility requirements:
- Must be ambulatory and are currently a patient who has undergone treatment for breast cancer within the past 12 months under the care of a licensed physician.
Cleaning for a Reason
What you get:
- Up to two free home cleanings (one cleaning per month).
Eligibility requirements:
- Any woman, man, or child in active cancer treatment.
Wheels of Hope
What you get:
- The Driving Program connects people who need transportation to cancer treatments with volunteer drivers.
- The Travel Treatment Fund offers short-term financial assistance to cover some costs of travelling to cancer treatments. This includes expenses like fuel and taxi or public transit fares.
- Air Daffodil can help you get to cancer treatments through flights and ground transportation, such as bus tickets, taxi vouchers or volunteer drivers.
Eligibility requirements:
- For cancer patients and their attendants. Patients must declare a financial, physical, or emotional need for service.
*Some programs in some locations may be temporarily unavailable during the COVID-19 pandemic.
**not available for the territories
| Photo by Ross Parmly on Unsplash |
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