Help during April's cancer treatments

This Spring, April and her husband Mike were excited to welcome their son Haskell. While April was still at the hospital, she was referred for imaging on a mass in her breast. Within days of Haskell’s birth, she had been diagnosed with breast cancer. Initially, they expected to be able to do a mastectomy and move forward with minimal additional therapy; but as treatment plans were developed, they learned that she would instead need several months of chemo before being able to have her surgery.

This would all be difficult enough, but their lives have already been fairly demanding, because their middle child, Helena, has epilepsy, autism, and significant developmental delays. Caring for her requires a level of energy and attentiveness that is not demanded of all parents, so the months of chemo and recovery from surgery will put significant strain on their family.

The final kicker is that April’s treatment will extend beyond Mike’s parental leave. In fact, his leave will end just as April moves into a more aggressive therapy that is more likely to have serious side effects. That will be followed by her mastectomy and recovery period, then reconstructive surgery and yet another recovery period.

Clearly, they need some help. Mike will need to take off periods of unpaid time to care for April and the kids, and they will need financial support during that time. They need to be able to pay for food delivery when the days are too overwhelming to cook. And, as a general principle, they deserve not to be stressed about money during this already stressful time.

Let’s help, shall we?