As an occupational therapist for 37 years, Elizabeth Craig has witnessed the journey of patients recovering from a significant medical diagnosis and attempting to return to their regular lives.
But that didn’t make her diagnosis any less unexpected.
In May 2022, Elizabeth experienced some symptoms from what at the time seemed like cross-contamination from her celiac disease and diverticulitis. It wasn’t until the stomach pain became severe enough that she went to the ER, and doctors found the cause of the issue. Less than a week later, Elizabeth was having surgery and, shortly thereafter, a diagnosis of diffuse large B-cell lymphoma.
The speed and shock of a cancer diagnosis don’t spare anyone, and Elizabeth was immediately out of work. Her cancer was found in her colon, a somewhat non-traditional location for that form of cancer, so it required surgery to remove the mass and half of her colon. It was multiple months before she could even begin chemotherapy, let alone consider a return to work. While Elizabeth was able to receive some short-term disability through FMLA, the household’s salary was reduced by approximately two-thirds. It’s a terrifying scenario that cancer patients find themselves in, in many cases with no timetable for when a return to work and financial stability is possible.
After recovering from the surgery, Elizabeth began six rounds of chemo at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute in July, lasting through October. 
It was during that already arduous process that funds started to dry up. It’s in these situations that the Joe Andruzzi Foundation (JAF) tries to help.
JAF was able to provide a grocery gift card and a car insurance payment to help Elizabeth and her family get by. The food assistance was significant for Elizabeth, who had to be meticulous in monitoring what she was eating due to the cost of gluten-free options for those with celiac disease. But it helped ease some of the burden for a little while.
“Without the help of the Joe Andruzzi Foundation, I don’t think we would have paid a few bills. We may have declared bankruptcy at some point because we had no funds and support. We would have been up a creek without a paddle.”
Elizabeth’s cancer thankfully responded to the chemo, and she was able to attempt to return to work in January, seven months after her initial ER visit. However, the financial toxicity caused by a diagnosis doesn’t end after treatment. The days of resuming a full-time occupational therapist schedule were gone. Thankfully, Elizabeth had a company that helped her find a position.
And it’s for that reason that Elizabeth appreciated how JAF’s connection with their recipients doesn’t just end. She attended multiple events put on by the Foundation, including a women’s retreat and a music event at TD Garden. As Elizabeth said, “It’s not just the money; it’s the emotional support that I have gotten along the way from the Foundation.”
Elizabeth and her family have since moved up to Maine so she can be near her four grandchildren. She’s found a case manager position that works for her quality of life and has recently been declared cancer-free. And she’s very appreciative of what JAF offered her in those trying financial moments so many patients experience.
