Patient Assistance Program

​Our patient assistance program was designed to be quickly responsive to the specific and often unique needs of Arizona families struggling with childhood leukemia. We are not limited by nationally based restrictions and red tape like many other charitable organizations are. We depend fully upon the assessment skills of the social workers and counselors affiliated with the specialized institutions with which we work,  to determine need and appropriateness of all requests.  All referrals for assistance are therefore received directly from the social workers and counselors representing the child’s family and treatment team. As a small, grass-roots organization, we are not able to allocate funds to pay medical expenses, as our resources would be quickly depleted. However, the design of our program allows us to consider virtually any request that will help to sustain an Arizona family dealing with the traumatic crisis of pediatric leukemia.  Assistance provided includes, but is not limited to, the following:

Utilities-Water, Electricity, Gas bills / Communication-Landline and Cell Telephone Bills / Housing-Mortgage and Rent payments 
Transportation-Gas, Car Insurance and Repairs, and Car Payments /  Health Insurance Payments / Tutoring
Child Care for siblings to allow parents to be with the hospitalized child / Counseling for the Patient and Family Members / Assistance with burial expenses

Below are vignettes excerpted from patient assistance requests from social workers and counselors
​on behalf of families struggling with the challenges of childhood leukemia.

• We have a five year old patient diagnosed with ALL, whose single mother needs assistance with the mortgage payment this month. Mom works as a waitress, and has found work to be slow this month, which is why she has fallen behind financially.  This is definitely not a pattern for her, and any assistance available would be greatly appreciated.

• This family resides in Nogales, Arizona, and comes to Tucson regularly for chemotherapy for their young child with ALL.  The mother was bringing the patient to the hospital with no problem until this month, when she gave birth.  The father had to take off time from work to transport the patient for treatment.  Unfortunately, the father’s employer laid him off rather than giving him a leave of absence. The father has been offered a new job, but this month’s rent payment is overdue.  Currently this is an emergency situation, but with a solid plan for the future.

• This family has a little girl who has AML.  She had a bone marrow transplant in January, and relapsed in December. She is currently in the hospital recovering from her second bone marrow transplant.  Her widowed mother is unable to work due to the child’s medical situation, and supports herself and her three children on Social Security Survivor’s income, along with the kindness of friends. The current most pressing need is repairs for her car. The family resides in Phoenix, and the mother stays in Tucson to be with her hospitalized daughter. She returns to Phoenix several times a week to be with the other children, who are attending school and cared for by family friends. As you can see, the car is vital to this family.  The Leukemia Foundation of Arizona was generous to this family during the first transplant, and we are seeking your assistance once again.