Comfort Fund stories

The Comfort Fund helps people struggling financially as a result of any type of cancer so that they can focus on their health and their loved ones.

Here are some stories of some of the people that have been helped by the Comfort Fund. Please note that some of their personal details have been changed to protect their privacy.

Please see link to the comfort fund criteria and online application –  https://mariekeating.ie/cancer-services/comfortfund/

 

Luke’s story

Luke  has metastatic testicular cancer. Luke is from a big family and one of his siblings has special needs. His mum is a full-time mother and carer and his dad has recently lost his job. He is just started on a ‘back to work’ scheme but the family has already got into financial difficulty. They owe large amounts of money and are unable to pay basic bills. Luke recently missed two of his radiation appointments as his family couldn’t afford to pay for a babysitter to mind Luke’s siblings.

Luke’s family received a Comfort Fund payment to help the family cover basic bills and cover Luke’s medical expenses.

 

Joseph’s story

Joseph is in his 30’s and lives with his wife and young son. He was diagnosed with metastatic testicular cancer in early 2014 and had surgery. He is now undergoing chemotherapy. Due to his cancer diagnosis, Joseph has suffered a significant loss of earnings and he and his family are struggling financially. A delay in getting a medical card impacted him hugely. His bill for chemotherapy to treat his cancer was reaching €144 each month and was also facing expenses associated with easing his symptoms. He has had to leave many bills unpaid, including his gas and electricity bill and he has no money to put fuel in his car.

Joseph received a Comfort Fund payment to help him cover his bills.

 

Kate’s story

Kate is in her 30’s and has been diagnosed with brain cancer with lung metastases. She lives with her husband and three young children. Her husband has had to take sick leave to care for her and their children. Kate needs to be in hospital for five days of each month for inpatient treatment and is also quite unwell for a few days after her treatment.

Kate and her husband are in dire straits financially, causing undue distress and harming Kate’s recovery progress. The family needs urgent input for child care so that Kate’s husband can be at the hospital to speak with medical team. The family has also been struggling with fuel costs.

Kate’s family received a  Comfort Fund payment to help them cope with their child care and fuel bills.


 

These are just some of the people that have been helped by the Comfort Fund thanks to the generosity of Marie Keating Foundation supporters. Thank you for all that you have done.

If you would like to support the Marie Keating Foundation so that we can continue to provide Comfort Fund grants, please make a donation today.