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Dear Friends,
In September of 2006, our family temporarily moved to Baltimore while Kara received cancer treatment at Johns Hopkins. Forced to stay in hotel rooms and eat countless meals in the hospital cafeteria, we immediately recognized the need to advocate in support of those less financially fortunate than us. Many of you may wonder why Kara chose to receive treatment in Baltimore. The answer is quite simple....young adults are often diagnosed with rare and aggressive tumors which require the medical expertise that only a major comprehensive cancer center can provide.
The Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Center at Johns Hopkins is one of the top three cancer treatment centers in the country. As the east coast leader in bone marrow transplants, young adults from across the country travel to Baltimore for treatment each year. Imagine being told that your best chance for survival is a bone marrow transplant or daily radiation for six weeks....now picture yourself having no place to stay or the money to pay for it.
Kara's Place, on a second floor wing of the Hackerman-Patz Patient and Family Pavilion, provides affordable housing for five young adults and their loved ones. Located directly across the street from the cancer center, it offers close proximity that is so vitally important when a loved one is sick. These universal suites comfortably sleep the patient and two additional family members. Adjacent to a kitchen, lounge, and laundry room, Kara's Place provides financially needy young adults all the amenities of home during an especially stressful time. Young adult patients no longer have to walk through a hotel lobby after a long day of treatment in the infusion lab.
Each year, 70,000 young adults, like Kara, are diagnosed with cancer. While a cancer diagnosis is ultimately devastating at any age, young adults are especially vulnerable. Too old for pediatrics, yet too young for adulthood, they often feel socially isolated and financially insecure. Kara's Place eases the financial burden of relocation and connects patients and their families with valuable resources. No young adult will ever be denied access because of inability to pay.
Thank you to the many who pledged their support for our efforts, but we still need your help. Please consider joining us in our mission to support young adults with cancer at Kara's Place. Your tax deductible contribution will go a long way towards making a difference in the lives of young adult oncology patients.
Wishing you and those you love a New Year filled with happiness, joy, and good health,
Kathryn Lalumiere, President & Founder
Kara Foundation
To learn more about Kara, click here to visit Kara's homepage or go to www.foundationforkara.org.
Donations by check can be made payable to:
Kara Foundation
13055 Michie Court
Woodbridge, VA 22192 |
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Total Donations: $46,877
Goal: $100,000
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