Individual Grant

Stacy was diagnosed with breast cancer during her career in the travel industry. Because of her diagnosis and treatments, she was no longer able to go to work and her bills began to add up. This made the grants she received from UBCF all the more important. Throughout her journey, the support from others has kept her afloat. The assistance she got for being on medical leave from her work was not enough to pay the bills. On top of this, her husband also was not working which caused a buildup of bills. Luckily, she found UBCF online and applied for the grants and received one. “It kept things from spiraling out of control,” Stacy explains, “I am very grateful for groups like UBCF that are out there and lend assistance. I have seen horror stories of people who have lost their homes while trying to go through expensive treatments.” Stacy understands that cancer doesn’t just invade your body, but also invades your whole life. With treatments such as chemotherapy and radiation, she was not able to work. “Groups like yours are a lifeline with great resources and help for women who are facing breast cancer.”

Melisa is an extremely strong woman who was diagnosed with breast cancer after losing her brother, mother and father within a span of 5 months. Not only was she coping with loss, but she was also tackling her Multiple Sclerosis with various treatments. Melisa was in a very tough financial situation. She had no work, no income, or even disability. This made help from others all the more important. Melisa has also received an individual grant from UBCF. With no work or financial support, UBCF was there for her by providing an individual grant. This helped ease every day expenses that got put to the side with treatment. UBCF even offered her emotional support throughout her journey. Melisa explains, “This group is a wonderful group, any questions you may have, they are always there. They are there for you in different ways.”

Cecile was diagnosed with breast cancer on her 58 birthday. Before her diagnosis, Cecile had already faced some very traumatic life experiences. Cecile had major surgery, experienced the death of her son, raising her young granddaughter, getting hurt on the job, and then no longer having the ability to work on that job after 17 years. Paying for breast cancer treatments added financial strain to her situation. Luckily, Cecile received an individual grant from UBCF that helped pay her rent. “It is very difficult to go through treatments and have to worry about making it financially. UBCF and the donors who give to help make someone's life better helped to lighten the load of worry and fear. For that I am so grateful to UBCF and the donors who support us with breast cancer.” In August of 2020, her scans were clear. Cecile is a survivor!! “More kindness was shown to me and my granddaughter in 2021 from the UBCF, who was so nice and helpful in their services. A hug and a big thank you to all the donors who contributed with kindness. Most appreciated.”

Kimberly is a mother who loves reading and taking walks. She was diagnosed with breast cancer when she was 43 years old after her doctor found a lump at a normal checkup. She then had a series of operations and eventually had a mastectomy as well as chemotherapy. She explained that one of the hardest parts was losing her hair. She now no longer has breast cancer and feels that breast cancer made her stronger and a better self advocate! She found out about UBCF through a conference and explained that she found UBCF extremely helpful while having to deal with the financial side of her health. After she finished her treatment she still had to deal with health issues and UBCF has been there for her through that. Things such as mattresses from the mattress events have helped her through both cancer and her other health issues. Kimberly explained that a donor's gift means the world to so many breast cancer patients and survivors.

Hello, my name is Sheila, this is to express my gratitude for receiving an Individual Grant thru this Foundation. It came at the most important time possible. I was diagnosed with a non-malignant tumor on the right breast I October 2015 and had a lumpectomy in January 2016 to remove it. I had a follow-up mammogram for calcified deposits that had showed up. March 2016 was the repeat mammogram and the results came back showing it was Cancer this time. Once I received this news I was devastated and overwhelmed of what options I had to face.

I chose to have a bi-lateral double mastectomy with reconstruction due to the fact I had already had a lumpectomy in January on one side of my breast and within a 6-month period, it showed Cancer on the other side. I guess just the words “Breast Cancer” devastated me.

I am still in the reconstruction stage at this time but overall, I’m a survivor and on the road of recovery.

I cannot say or express my thanks for receiving an Individual Grant from UBCF at this time of going thru this whole ordeal much less the financial burdens that have been added. Words cannot say thanks enough, not only for the financial support but the heart-felt people that I have spoken with during the process of applying to UBCF. This Foundation has reached out to help me when I least expected it.

I’m so grateful that UBCF is available for helping others like me and to know we have support. I want to Thank UBCF from the bottom of my heart! This has helped me so much. I am so very Thankful.

I’m so happy to be able to tell my story to you on how great the people are at UBCF or have been to me. Let me start out by explaining how I got sick in 2011 right after my big 5-0 birthday. O.K. I got swelling in my right breast, hurt real bad, I went to the emergency room, they did an ultrasound found a mass, told me to get a mammogram done to see what it may be and naturally I ‘m broke and poor, so my sister contacted UBCF and low and behold they paid for it. Guess what the mass disappeared can’t find anything with a mamo or an ultrasound.

So, I go on in life thinking I’m OK, but in 2012 around September my right breast has the same problem, so I go through the same procedures, but now I have to have a biopsy done which comes back as Stage 2 breast cancer. I’m not upset I told the doctor because I still feel like I can go outside and chop down an entire tree, plus I know many breast cancer survivors even one who is 95 years old and she had problems 44 years ago.

But enough about me, here is the great news about the people at UBCF. I’m sitting here trying to pay bills that wont go away. I’m a caregiver for my Aunt and I live off her money since I take care of her, yes two broke old golden girls. So I get this email from UBCF about a cancer patient that is so grateful that they helped with some of her bills and I go “Wow”, let me see if they will help me and sure enough they are going to give a grant for $500 towards my electric bill. $500 may not seem like much to many people, but if you could have heard me screaming you would have thought that I won the Powerball Lottery.

Thank you Jennifer Spina and UBCF when I get through everything I’m going to assist this foundation anyway I can from now on or until I can say I’m a 44 year survivor.

I am writing to thank the UBCF for the grant that will pay my mortgage. I was given the application by my patient navigator at the Virginia Cancer Center when I was diagnosed with Stage 2 breast cancer.

I was so overwhelmed by the diagnosis and the new that the medical bills were going to pile up fast. I filled out the forms and she sent them in for me. I have been through 3 months of chemo and am now out on medical leave following a double mastectomy. My next step is 7 weeks of radiation.

You don’t know how much having a mortgage paid for the month will help. I am single mom with 3 teenagers. I am now able to pay other bills that have now gotten behind.

I cannot tell you how grateful and blessed I feel for the help you have extended to my family. Thank you again for the gift of survival.

I am writing this testimonial to show my gratitude for your assistance in helping me follow my dream.

I am a single mom and recent breast cancer survivor. After going through several surgeries and treatments the past couple of years, I realized I wanted to be able to help others diagnosed with cancer, having been through it myself.

My vision was to go back to school and study Health and Wellness, which would allow me to do just that. My vision, however, came with a price. I would need to move to a new city, since that program was not offered at my local college. I applied to the college that offered the program and was accepted. I applied and was approved for loans and grants within that college, but having been unemployed and never receiving child support, I was unsure how I would be able to make additional ends meet. I soon had an appointment with my Oncologist where I mentioned my dream and my dilemma. She was excited about the prospect of me furthering my education to assist others struggling with cancer, and suggested I look into various grant resources, among them UBCF. I am forever grateful that I did!

UBCF will be assisting me with my rent for the next two months. They will also be assisting me with school supplies, etc., for my son. The UBCF assistance will be a huge help and will allow me to do what I didn’t think possible. Thank you UBCF!

My name is Charlotte. Diagnosis was made in March of 2013, Invasive Ductal Cancer, Stage IIA, with ER{-), PR{-), Her 2 Neu {-). At the time of my diagnosis my income was a part time job and a Social Security disability. I quit my part time job. This put a strain on my budget with everyday living expenses.

As the treatments began medical bills for Chemo Therapy, double mastectomy/9 lymph nodes removed, 33 radiation treatments and another round of Taxol chemo. Medicare paid their part of my medical bills but I was still left with co­ pays for three doctors, my part of the radiation, $360.00 to the hospital when I had surgery. I am still in treatment.

The grant that United Breast Cancer Foundation approved is a God send. I owe a large amount to my radiation oncologist {Oncology Consultants). To have this bill paid by the grant will take away some of the stress. I like to have all my bills paid.

Thank you to everyone at United Breast Cancer Foundation for the review of my application. To have this awarded to me is an honor. When I am through with my treatment, I plan to pay it forward, help other Breast Cancer patients.

Thank you so much for approving my request for an individual grant of $688. This money will help ease the worry our family faces by paying one month of auto insurance and one monthly car payment.

It has been a difficult journey so far but I feel I am going to be cancer free soon. I face upwards of 12 more months of treatment till I can completely put this time of my life behind me.

Thank you again for the wonderful work you do!

I express my gratitude for the gift of this grant from the United Breast Cancer Foundation.

When I learned about having late stage cancer I was deeply concerned about being here to help take care of our children. Life without Mom can be pretty grim. We have a large family with 10 children. I didn’t want “grim” to be the prospect for our children.

I have had donations helping me pay for my treatments. But it is true that the cost of care when someone is very sick can put additional stress upon an already difficult situation. It would seem that the medical and other costs are greater than the donations can afford.

This generous grant from UBCF has eased the burden during August as it pays some of our housing cost which allows me to get necessary medication for my healing. Thank you so much! Our family can breathe a bit easier knowing things are coming together.

I’m a 33 year old young lady and I was diagnosed with Triple Negative Breast Cancer on June 20, 2009. When I got the news I was devastated and scared. I knew in order for me to beat this I had to stay positive throughout this whole ordeal. Dealing with the fact that I had breast cancer was hard enough. The emotional, physical and financial burdens were all factors that I had to deal with. I didn’t know what to do and how I was going to do it. I went through 4 months of chemoptherapy, then I had a lumpectomy surgery on my right breast, then I went through 6 weeks of radiation. Going through all of that was very hard and trying. I was mentally and physically drained. It’s one of the hardest things I had to go through, besides losing both my brothers.

Thank God a friend of mine told me about UBCF, because they have made a huge positive impact in my life. My friend ran into a representative of UBCF, then he told me about UBCF and I went on their website and was really impressed by all the information that was on the site.

The reason why I love UBCF is that everyone that I have spoken with is very encouraging and positive. This has been a very hard time in my life and having UBCF by my side has allowed me to deal with the hard times of going through breast cancer. When I was first diagnosed with breast cancer, I was like what am I going to do. Most breast cancer organizations only help with research and don’t help out with the patients needs, especially financially. Having UBCF help me with a grant was such a blessing. As we all know in our daily life without dealing with any health issues, finances could always be stressful. I honestly don’t know what I would have done if I wasn’t awarded the Individual Grant. I was at the end of my rope with my family and friends helping me out. This grant saved my life. I’m so appreciative and grateful that UBCF has a program that helps cancer patients, not only financially, but emotionally and informatively too.

I like to personally thank UBCF for helping me get through this hard and trying time in my life. This is the best organization ever and I would definitely recommend UBCF to anyone that has breast cancer. I can’t express in words how I truly feel.

My name is Stephanie and when I was only 38 years old I was diagnosed with breast cancer. It was May 1, 2008, a date that will forever be remembered by myself and my husband. We had only been married 2 ½ years and had our son just over a year earlier. Our new life together was just beginning, so when we received that news, it felt like our whole world was falling apart. We did not have health insurance, and were supporting our family, which also included my oldest daughter, on one income. I felt so completely helpless.

I sought help from various organizations in my community and was very fortunate to have all of my surgery and treatment costs covered by those organizations. After treatment was over I thought there would be no way that I would ever be able to have reconstruction. It’s a very expensive procedure and the non-profits that I was affiliated with for treatment did not cover reconstruction surgery. I figured I would have to live the rest of my life without breasts. At first, when I was diagnosed and had to make the decision to have a double mastectomy, I thought “I just want those tumors out of my body”. That was most important to me. Being alive is definitely more important than having breasts! However; as the months passed I began to realize just how important it really was to me. I was very self conscience about my appearance in public, and especially with my husband. I just didn’t feel like a whole woman anymore. And the scars were a constant reminder of what I had been through for the past year with surgery and chemotherapy treatments.

One night I began searching the internet and researching reconstruction options when I stumbled upon the site for the United Breast Cancer Foundation. When I read about the foundation and how they provide grant assistance to women just like me, I began to see a light at the end of my tunnel. I got so excited with the idea that it was actually possible for me to get the reconstruction I needed and to feel whole again. So, I downloaded the application and sent it in. And after a few short months I got the call. I was approved for the grant!!!

I was like a little kid at Christmas! I was so happy, I cried!! I will never be able to express how thankful I am to the United Breast Cancer Foundation for giving me my life back. Having reconstruction was the last step that was needed for me to get on with my “new” life as a breast cancer survivor. It truly was a pleasure to work with them throughout the entire process. What they do for women is wonderful. They are angels from heaven and I will always be grateful for what they have given me. They give more than just money; they give us a second chance at a “normal” life.

The United Breast Cancer Foundation has been a great help to me during the time that I have been going through treatment for Breast Cancer. I just found out at the beginning of this month that the cancer has spread to other areas throughout my body. I am currently trying to get disability so that I will somewhat be able to provide for myself. Thank you so much to UBCF for paying my rent for me. It has been a great relief because I did not know how I was going to be able to pay it. Thanks again for all of your support

I am writing to say thank you with all my heart for the Grant approval that you, as the UBCF, will provide to me. This will be a huge help with my rent and the assistance takes a huge burden off my shoulders. I have had so much anxiety and stress throughout my illness and surgeries, any help is more than appreciated. I have worked with Jennifer Spina who has been more than helpful, caring,and patient. I appreciate your help and kindness and will never forget your generosity.