MOUNTAIN AREA — Nearly 50 percent of cancer patients in Madera and Mariposa counties need assistance with transportation to and from their cancer treatment appointments at cCARE Cancer Center in Fresno. Now, a grant from the American Cancer Society will help fill this gap and give cancer patients locally a fighting chance to access the care they need to beat the disease.
The American Cancer Society Fresno office recently presented cCARE Connects Foundation in Fresno with a $5,000 check to help cover transportation costs for cancer patients who reside in Madera and Mariposa counties.
Cancer patients in the foothills and mountains who need help with transportation to and from their lifesaving treatments to cCARE Cancer Center in Northeast Fresno can call 1-800-227-2345. The $5,000 grant will provide transportation options such as Lyft or Uber to transport patients from Madera and Mariposa counties.
“Lack of transportation is a major barrier to cancer care,” explains Jennifer Giese, Health Systems Manager, for the American Cancer Society. Even the best treatment won’t work if a patient can’t gain access due to lack of reliable, consistent transportation.”
Many cancer patients don’t own a vehicle, can’t afford the extra fuel, or don’t have access to public transportation. Some patients may be elderly and unable to drive, too ill to drive, or have no relatives or friends near them who are able to provide regular assistance with transportation.
An estimated 600 Madera County residents, and an estimated 120 Mariposa County residents, will learn they have cancer this year, and getting to their scheduled treatment appointments could be their greatest concern.
One cancer patient requiring radiation therapy could need between 20 and 30 trips to treatment over the course of six weeks. A patient receiving chemotherapy may need weekly treatment for up to a year.
“cCARE Connects Foundation and cCARE, Inc. value our relationship with the American Cancer Society. We are gratefully appreciative of this much needed transportation grant for our patients based in Madera and Mariposa counties,” says Marvell French, president of cCARE Connects Foundation.
(ACS desperately needs volunteer drivers in all foothill and mountain communities. Free online training is provided. Foothill and mountain resident volunteers who want to drive cancer patients to and from their treatment appointments in Fresno and Clovis may call 1-800-227-2345.
The American Cancer Society is a global grassroots force of nearly two million volunteers dedicated to saving lives, celebrating lives, and leading the fight for a world without cancer. For more information go to www.cancer.org.
