I want to bring awareness to grants available for appendix cancer patients. I met a woman in Washington DC a few years ago after being in contact with her via phone and email for over a year. I liked her a lot.
She had been diagnosed with signet ring appendix cancer and had had cytoreduction surgery and HIPEC about a year and a half prior to my meeting her. We had lunch and talked for a long time in DC, she was doing well and wanting to get back in shape, we talked about health clubs and exercise programs. She passed just a few months after I met her; she had a sudden recurrence of her cancer that was not operable. She left behind a husband and two teenage children.

There were donations given at her funeral, and her husband wants to give a single grant from that fund to an appendix cancer patient yearly for 5 years. They are not very large grants, but are enough to help those going through tough times. I’ve been in contact with over 800 patients newly diagnosed with appendix cancer, and I know some are struggling with job loss and financial difficulties related to their diagnosis and treatment.

The husband wrote this for me to post on my blog/website in looking for candidates for the grants. For those of you who might be interested:

Grants for Appendix Cancer Patients

“An anonymous donor, whose wife had appendix cancer and survived for 20 months before dying, has a limited amount of funding available to help people and families who have received an appendix cancer diagnosis. Please contact Carolyn with your request for a small financial grant and be prepared to show proof of diagnosis.

The donor will provide the limited grants, which can be used for travel, information gathering, second opinions, help with food, babysitters, take a day off from work, whatever is needed.

The donor only requires that you allow him to speak with you and tell you about his wife and also that you keep in touch with him with periodic updates on how you are doing and how the grant helped you, so that he can share that information with donors to his wife’s Fund, and his wife’s family and friends.”

Hair 4 You

I received another email from a woman who is trying to establish a non-profit organization and who is asking for help…not monetary donations, just a vote! I love her idea, as I know how much kids and teens are affected by hair loss and changes in body image. My youngest daughter loves her hair, her greatest concern when I was diagnosed was that chemo might cause me to lose my hair. She couldn’t contemplate a person being bald! I am pasting here the email I received from Rebecca; it would be great if you could help her!

“My name is Rebecca and I am 24 years old, from Chicago. I’m currently in nursing school and I’m also a 2 time cancer survivor. I have set up a charity, called “Hair 4 You” to provide kids/teens with wigs due to medical hair loss. Please keep reading, I am NOT asking for money! I am currently in the running for the Pepsi Refresh Challenge to win $25,000 to get my charity off the ground and become an official non-profit 501(3)c.
The top ten organizations win money at the end of the competition and in the past week I have moved up over 90 spots but am still not in contention to win. Voting is absolutely free and requires a simple email address and password. I am wondering if you can do anything via your blog to help me spread the word and earn more votes. As well as earning more votes, I’d like to get the charity out there so I can start helping people once we hopefully receive money.”
Click here for Voting Site Hair 4 You:

Click here to Vote On Facebook: “