Here at the Joe Andruzzi Foundation (JAF), our mission of bringing help, hope, and a reason to smile, applies to all New England cancer patients of any cancer and any age, especially the youngest in need. In 2020, 2021, and the early part of 2022, One Mission provided funding to JAF to support pediatric patients and their families with financial assistance when they need it most.
One Mission’s financial support of JAF’s Extraordinary Needs Assistance allowed pediatric patients to access grants of up to $4,000 for unforeseen or high-priority expenses as a direct result of treatment. These extraordinary needs could range from home accessibility repairs to medical supplies to dental work.
The impact of our work together is reflected through the inspirational pediatric patient stories of those helped by this multi-year collaboration with One Mission.
No one speaks more eloquently to the difference JAF and One Mission has made for these families than Annie Johnson of Hancock, Vermont, mom to six year old, Nora:
“Having a child with any illness is the hardest thing a parent can go through. With COVID, we have had to be extremely cautious and take time off work to keep Nora safe and make it to the many appointments she has had. The help we have received has taken a burden off our shoulders, so we are more able to focus on Nora and make sure her needs are met.
The Joe Andruzzi Fund helped us through one of the most challenging moments of our child’s treatment. It alleviated the stress of worrying about how we were going to pay our bills and be able to keep our family together during treatment out of state.
It can be really hard to ask for help, even when you need it. JAF was there for us when we needed it the most and helped us keep our family together during out-of-state treatment. I was eight months pregnant, and we had to go to Boston; my husband was out of work because he needed to stay with our daughter at the hospital while I was with our son and new baby after his birth. Things were so unimaginably stressful, and JAF relieved so much of that stress for us.
Every dollar you donate makes a huge difference for people every day. It’s so hard to ask for help sometimes, but it is extremely necessary for so many families so they can focus on their family member who is battling a disease. “
The Joe Andruzzi Foundation is so grateful for the generous support from our partners and friends at One Mission. Together, we let young cancer patients and their families worry less about everyday expenses, allowing them to focus on their child’s treatment and becoming well. Patients like Nora, so she and her family can be together with the comfort of knowing so many wish them peace and comfort this holiday season and every day.