When an acquaintance, co-worker, friend or loved one is diagnosed with cancer its a natural response to want to help, but when your financially unable to assist with medical expenses what can you do? In my experience as a cancer mom, I can tell you first hand there are many way to help someone diagnosed with cancer without spending a penny!
6 FREE WAYS TO HELP SOMEONE DIAGNOSED WITH CANCER
1. Donate blood and platelets. Contact your local blood bank or the American Red Cross to set up a blood drive at your school, church, or place of employment.
2. Donate your hair for wigs to be made for cancer patients. Our favorite place to donate is Wigs 4 Kids. The non-profit organization provides free wigs to help those diagnosed with cancer struggling with the ramifications of hair loss brought on by chemo treatments.
3. Offer to accompany them to a doctors appointment. Drive time and the stress of treatment make these days seems so long and are emotionally exhausting. Your company and conversation will be a welcomed gift and distraction for the cancer patient and family.
4. Reach out by a phone call or text. Cancer is incredible isolating. You can’t be around family and friends due to a low immune system but you need their emotional support now more than ever. A simple text asking how they are feeling or just to let them know you are thinking about them will mean the world.
5. When a child is diagnosed with cancer, the entire family is affected, especially the siblings. While your loved one or friend is receiving chemo or at the doctors, offer to spend one on one time with the siblings. Take them to the park, go for a walk, but just spend to to show them you care. It’s essential and important to know they aren’t forgotten in the cancer whirlwind of appointments, chemo treatments, and hospital stays.
6. Offer to do yard work, mow the grass, or weed the flower beds. When our son was diagnosed, I completely forgot about our normal daily household chores. After a long day of chemo, the last thing a person battling cancer or their caretaker wants to do is mow the grass. Best thing is they don’t even have to be home for you to offer this kind gesture!
Leave me a comment below with another suggestion for a free way to help someone battling cancer?
Read More of our son Gunner’s Leukemia Battle:
Gunner’s Leukemia Treatment Plan
Why does Gunner’s Childhood Leukemia Treatment Require 3 Years of Chemo?
I’m Not As Strong As You Think ~ A Cancer Mom’s Confession
Gunner Battles Childhood Leukemia ~ Only 556 Days of Chemo To Go
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