Cancer Awareness Month – The Pendergast’s
My name is Jim Pendergast and, since I was diagnosed with cancer in April 2020, I have become all too familiar with the financial impacts that those words can have on your family.
Within 6 weeks from hearing the news, my cancer treatments had begun. With my wife and my two children by my side, we began the journey of what we thought would be 12 chemo treatments for colon, stomach and liver cancer.
Here we are, with chemotherapy session number 48 this week.
Since I was diagnosed, we have made over 200 trips to St. John’s. With each trip averaging 300 km; we have put over 60,000 km on our vehicle in less than 2 years.
Every trip means another tank of gas.
Before the price of gas went up, we were struggling to make it work. Now, with the frequent increase at the pumps, it’s even worse. We ended up selling our second vehicle to help cover the additional costs that accompany a cancer diagnoses.
It all adds up very quickly.
Each trip into town for treatment is about a 10 hour day for us. My wife Tracy would sit in the parking lot for six to seven hours. She was not permitted to come in due to the pandemic restrictions, which meant I completed 45 of the 48 chemo treatments without her beside me.
I am feeling great now, the best I have in two years, but our bank account says otherwise.
We were thankful for the support of the Cancer Care Foundation’s Patient and Family Support Fund. We had no choice but to avail of the fund more than once.
That is why I am asking you to consider a gift to the Patient and Family Support Fund today.
The Cancer Care Foundation has set a GOAL to raise $20,000 for the Patient and Family Support Fund by April 30th to help patients right here at home in Newfoundland and Labrador.
I am excited to share that the Newfoundland Power’s corporate charity, Power of Life, will be MATCHING all donations up to $10,000 made to our Patient and Family Support Fund until April 30th, 2022.
YOU can make DOUBLE the impact this month with your donation here.
Please consider making a gift to help cancer patients and their families like me – who are struggling with the increased costs of everything.
After all, cancer doesn’t care about the cost of gas, but you can.
With my thanks,
Jim Pendergast
P.S. Remember – the deadline to have your donation MATCHED by Power of Life is April 30th, 2022!
