Distance shouldn’t determine breast cancer support

By ERIN DeJONG
Guest Columnist

For rural Hoosiers undergoing breast cancer treatment, the road to recovery can be a long one – sometimes literally.

A trip to the nearest cancer treatment center might mean driving an hour or more each way. Add gas, groceries, missed work, and other “soft costs” and a breast cancer diagnosis can become a financial crisis for patients and their families.

Breast cancer doesn’t discriminate by ZIP code, but access to the resources needed to navigate treatment often does. At Indiana Women in Need (IWIN), we believe no Hoosier should have to choose between getting the treatment they need and meeting their family’s basic needs.

Since 2000, our organization has supported individuals undergoing breast cancer treatment manage the emotional, physical, and financial burdens that come with a diagnosis. Through fundraising and community partnerships, we provide $450 in individual assistance to eligible patients in active treatment, helping cover everyday necessities like groceries that don’t disappear when cancer enters the picture.

Our mission extends far beyond Indianapolis. We support individuals in all 92 Indiana counties and have delivered $4 million in services since our founding. Today, our commitment to reaching Hoosiers wherever they call home remains as important as ever.

About 5,800 Hoosiers are diagnosed with breast cancer every year. Behind that number are parents, grandparents, neighbors, coworkers, and friends whose lives are suddenly turned upside down, too. For those living in rural communities, the challenges can be especially difficult.

Many rural communities lack the same proximity to specialized medical care, transportation options and support services available in larger cities. Patients may need to travel considerable distances for chemotherapy, radiation, or other appointments, sometimes daily or several times a week. And when treatment makes it difficult or impossible to work, those expenses become even harder to manage.

In fact, 43 percent of breast cancer patients consider forgoing treatment due to the cost. That’s a troubling reality, and one we can’t afford to ignore.

Consider Reane, an IWIN recipient from Greene County who traveled 85 miles each way for treatment. Living on Social Security, she struggled to afford the gas necessary to reach her appointments. Transportation assistance meant she could focus more of her energy on healing instead of worrying about how she would afford the next trip.

Or consider CoraVee, an 83-year-old recipient from Steuben County who faced 100-mile round trips for treatment while living on a limited budget. She described IWIN’s assistance with everyday necessities as something that provided much more than financial relief.

These stories illustrate something we see every day. Sometimes, the greatest difference we can make isn’t paying a medical bill. It’s making sure someone can afford to get to treatment, put dinner on the table, or experience one less worry during a difficult time.

Fortunately, Hoosiers have demonstrated time and again they are willing to show up for their neighbors.

This October, during Breast Cancer Awareness Month, Everwise Credit Union is funding 40 IWIN grants to help individuals undergoing treatment. With employees and members in communities across Indiana – including rural areas – Everwise understands breast cancer affects families in every corner of our state. Its continued partnership is an example of how organizations can turn community commitment into meaningful assistance.

But meeting this need requires more than any one organization or partnership. It requires health care providers who connect patients with available resources, employers who recognize the challenges of balancing treatment and work, and communities willing to support neighbors facing circumstances they never anticipated.

It also requires awareness. Too often, people navigating a breast cancer diagnosis don’t realize assistance is available. That’s why Breast Cancer Awareness Month must be about more than wearing pink or encouraging screenings, important as those efforts are. It must also be about supporting people after a diagnosis, throughout treatment and during the difficult days in between.

At IWIN, we want every Hoosier undergoing breast cancer treatment to know they are not alone, whether they live in downtown Indianapolis or miles from the nearest hospital. Because where someone lives should never determine whether they feel supported through breast cancer.

To learn more about IWIN, apply for assistance or support our mission, visit iwinfoundation.org.

Erin DeJong is Indiana Women in Need (IWIN)’s Executive Director.