A Mother Never Gives Up Against Childhood Cancer

Amy was on the other end of the phone, holding back the tears that came to her eyes far too often. Her bank account was empty. She was driving a beat up car that was 11 years old. Her gas and electric were scheduled for shut off and her mortgage was two months behind. She had resorted to paying for her groceries with the only credit card that was not maxed out. It only had $300 left on it.

“Childhood cancer is a beast and it has taken so much for so so long,” she said. Her son, Codey, had been fighting cancer for 16 years. (Yes. 16 years.) She worked for the United States Postal Service. She had used up all of her paid time off. Codey’s father had died several years ago in an accident. She had no one to sit with him so she could go to work.

She was right, childhood cancer had taken so much, including her financial stability.

When I started Compass to Care, I did not realize that one in five children battling cancer was living in poverty. I did not know that children from low-income families have higher relapse rates and lower survival rates. I knew my parents struggled with getting me to cancer treatment and that was where our mission started. But I didn’t know not having money for gasoline could lead to a child’s death.

But I do now. And I am listening to a mother who knows that if she cannot afford to get her child from Ohio to New York for an experimental copper radiation treatment, that there is no hope left.

The last time Codey was in New York, his doctors performed a resection from his neck. The results came back worse than they could have imagined. It was full of Neuroblastoma, again. It was throughout his lymph nodes – maybe all through his lymphatic system.

“I’m scared, but trying to stay strong for him,” Amy told me. “I’m crying, but only in the shower,” she said.

Codey’s mom is not giving up. His doctors are not giving up. Compass to Care is not giving up. Your support of our mission directly pays for the travel expenses to get a child, like Codey, to the hospital for cancer treatment. But it goes far beyond a transaction. Your support gives relief. Your support gives hope.

Inflation has hit the parents of children with cancer hard. The demand for our support is far greater than it has ever been. Parents, like Amy, come to us begging for help. We have had to turn some away because we do not have the ability to support them all. We cannot do that anymore. We know what missing treatment means for a child with cancer.

The funds to help these children and parents comes from people like you. We need you. They need you.

A parent never gives up. And their financial struggle should never be the reason why their child can’t get to cancer treatment. Won’t you please contribute to our Annual Appeal today?

PLEASE DONATE ONLINE or by sending a check to Compass to Care, 6323 N Avondale Ave, Suite 250, Chicago, IL 60631