On this International Childhood Cancer Awareness Day, Leucan would like to shed some light on a major aspect for families: the financial stress associated with their child’s cancer. The financial burden arising from pediatric cancer is a little-known aspect of the illness.
A family’s financial health is also affected by the cancer
Caring for a child with cancer can have a considerable impact on a family’s finances, explained Sonia, mother of 1 year old Benjamin, who has acute myeloid leukemia : “When you get a cancer diagnosis, money quickly becomes your second biggest concern, after your child’s health.”
When a diagnosis is made, one of the parents often needs to go on indefinite leave from work to be with their child during the hospital treatments. Taking into account the costs of travel, accommodation, parking and meals, just one day of treatment at a hospital can set you back as much as $60. Since some childhood cancer treatments can last up to 24 months, these out-of-pocket expenses add up quickly. The financial stress is even greater for families living in more remote regions.
“Since we live in Abitibi, the expenses are huge. I had to stop working to stay with Benjamin, and his dad travels back and forth from Val-d’Or to Montreal every weekend. Leucan offered us valuable help with travel, groceries, gas, meals and so on. It gave us some peace of mind, so we could focus on our son’s health.”
Last year alone, Leucan distributed $1,242,800 million to families in need.
Leucan, ready to help with daily needs
Leucan’s assistance can reduce parents’ anxiety arising from the illness and to compensate for some of the financial losses caused by absence from work.
“Childhood cancer is something that can never be anticipated when families budget. At Leucan, helping to alleviate this collateral stress and ease the daily lives of families through grants is important to us. Also, our emergency fund helps parents who are in a precarious financial situation and have urgent needs, such as buying food or paying rent. This enables parents to focus on what’s most important: their child’s well-being,” said Élodie Bergeron, Director of Family Services, Research and Partnerships at Leucan.
