AnCan
Our Mission
AnCan is about people helping people, peer-to-peer … we are people living with various conditions and situations who help others faced with similar issues. We do this collectively and individually by providing answers, support and navigation to empower people living with serious and chronic conditions to address their worlds.
Our Vision
AnCan’s vision is to provide easily accessible, inclusive virtual peer support for every serious disease and condition allowing widespread participation, especially to those geographically, physically or socially disadvantaged.
Collaboration with other non-profits underpins our strategy.
Our Groups
AnCan is the FIRST virtual real time audio/visual peer-to-peer support group platform.
Our virtual, video chat groups can be accessed online via your desk or laptop computer, mobile device or by telephone. These virtual support group meetings are currently conducted on the GoToMeeting platform; to learn how to join, click here.
AnCan currently offers 20+ virtual groups monthly on a drop-in and free basis, no commitment! AND we’ve been doing this long before you ever heard of Covid.
Our group of women and men come together as peers to discuss our experience with one or more blood or hematologic cancers. These include, but are not restricted to, Leukemia, Lymphoma, and Multiple Myeloma plus variations on one or more of these diagnoses.
Individuals seeking support as a patient, caregiver, healthcare professional, or family member/friend are invited to attend scheduled meetings. The purpose of the meetings is to learn by sharing our experiences with the understanding that we have a lot to learn from each other.
This is a peer-moderated group. As such we cannot provide medical advice – we can speak about our own experiences with treatments and other aspects of living with blood cancers. We discuss:
- Treatments
- How your disease affects you personally
- How family members and/or friends react
- How you deal with anger about the changes to your life
- How you deal with “telling about & preparing for the end,”
- How it has changed your relationships – both caregivers & patients
- Intimacy and sexuality
… and any other topic YOU feel is important and you’d like to bring up.
Our inspirational moderators, Michele Nadeem-Baker (Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia) and Sally Torgeson live courageously with their conditions. They are very unique in their own ways and you can read more about them by clicking on their names.
Throwing Bones, a 501c3, was formed by Kenny Capps in 2017 with the mission to educate blood cancer patients on the motivation, techniques and benefits of purposeful movement and proper diet and nutrition for better quality of life and optimal therapeutic benefit. We encourage you to check out their website for more information, tips and financial assistance programs, not to mention some great gear!
So, if you’re interested and you’d like to share experiences, please drop by. To receive a reminder notice before each meeting, please sign up here.
Our sessions may be recorded and posted to AnCan’s YouTube Channel, shared on social media and elsewhere.
If you’re a multiple myeloma patient, we encourage you to check out the Myeloma Crowd on Health Tree, with whom we collaborate. And there are excellent resources for all blood cancers on PatientPower including our very own, Michele Nadeem-Baker.
The virtual group meets every 1st Thursday @ 8pm Eastern in the AnCan Schmier Room. You can join online or by phone at +1 646 749 3127 Access # 656-182-845. See the Joining Instructions Panel above right for more information and other Country Access codes. Our groups are free & drop-in – no registration required.
Aplastic Anemia & MDS International Foundation
The Aplastic Anemia & MDS International Foundation is the world’s leading nonprofit health organization dedicated to supporting patients and families living with aplastic anemia, myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS), paroxysmal nocturnal hemoglobinuria (PNH), and related bone marrow failure diseases. The Foundation provides answers, support, and hope to thousands of patients and their families around the world.
We are a patient-focused, patient-centered organization, serving patients and families throughout the three phases of bone marrow failure diseases:
- the life changing phase of diagnosis
- the life threatening phase of treatment
- the life long phase of living with a chronic disease
Blood & Marrow Transplant Information Network (BMT InfoNet)
Provides transplant patients, survivors and their loved ones with emotional support and high quality, easy-to-understand information about bone marrow, peripheral blood stem cell and cord blood transplants.
- Offers easy-to-understand information about bone marrow, peripheral blood stem cell and cord blood transplantsTransplant Directory search tool
- Educational webcasts
- Caring Connections, a program that links people who are considering a transplant, or a family member, with others who have been through transplant and can offer support
- Counseling services to help patients understand treatment options and potential healthcare providers
- BMT InfoNet Drug Database is a guide that lists many of the drugs bone marrow, stem cell and cord blood transplants patients receive during treatment; it explains why they are used and some of the possible side effects.
- Patient Assistance Fund offers a limited amount of financial assistance for gas, food, rent or other necessities. Social workers may apply on behalf of a patient via phone or email at [email protected]
Bone Marrow Foundation
To improve the quality of life for bone marrow, stem cell, and cord blood transplant patients and their families by providing vital financial assistance, emotional support, and comprehensive educational programs.
- Patient Aid Program may provide a small amount of funding to help patients with very limited incomes cover the costs of donor searches, compatibility testing, bone marrow harvesting, medications, home and child care services, medical equipment, transportation, cord blood banking, housing costs and other expenses associated with the transplant
- One-to-One Fund is a personal fund created for a specific patient. BMF administers and maintains the Fund, and can offer support with fundraising ideas
- Lifeline Project will post the patient’s photo and story on a webpage so people can donate money directly to the patient to help cover costs associated with the transplant
- Offers resource listings and list of transplant centers in the U.S.
- Provides SupportLine – a free service that connects patients and caregivers undergoing a transplant with patients and caregivers who are post-transplant
- Offers Ask the Expert – a question-and-answer service where patients can email questions to health professionals about bone marrow and stem cell transplantation
- Survivorship Program provides resources that can address the needs of all bone marrow, stem cell, and cord blood transplant survivors, their families, and caregivers. Includes online discussion forum and NYC-based in person support group
- Provides publications about transplantation and related topics.
Children’s Leukemia Research Association (CLRA)
Patient Aid Program offers limited funds (up to $1,500 per year) to assist with certain treatments, services and prescriptions; funds are available on a first-come, first-serve basis.
Icla da Silva Foundation
Mission to save lives by recruiting bone marrow donors and by providing support services to children and adults with leukemia and other diseases treatable by marrow transplants.
Know AML
Know AML is the first global education and awareness initiative that provides patients and caregivers with the information, resources, and support they need to deal with acute myeloid leukemia.
Know AML has a dedicated and highly experienced global ambassador group who meet regularly to steer and guide the initiative. This ambassador group consists of patients and caregivers, patient advocates, healthcare professionals, and industry representatives. Their responsibility is to propose awareness initiatives, provide concepts for support and education resources, share their experiences and learnings from advocacy heritage, and endorse materials before circulation among the acute myeloid leukemia community.
Leukemia and Lymphoma Society
LLS Mission: Cure leukemia, lymphoma, Hodgkin’s disease and myeloma, and improve the quality of life of patients and their families.
LLS is at the forefront of the fight to cure cancer. Compared to other blood cancer nonprofits, LLS is the largest funder of cutting-edge research to advance cures. We have invested nearly $1.6 billion in research. We are leaders in advancing breakthroughs in immunotherapy, genomics and personalized medicine. This research saves lives. These revolutionary new treatments originally discovered through blood cancer research are now being tested in clinical trials for other cancers.
As the leading source of free blood cancer information, education and support for patients, survivors, families and healthcare professionals, LLS helps patients navigate their cancer treatment and ensures they have access to quality, affordable and coordinated care. Research will help us achieve an end to cancer. In the meantime, patients need help before, during and after their diagnosis and treatment. LLS is the leading nonprofit that does just that. Dedicated to funding blood cancer research and providing education and services to patients and caregivers and removing barriers to care by proving financial support.
Support services include in-person and online support groups and peer-to-peer support that links patients and their families with a trained volunteer who has experienced a similar situation. Numerous resources include education programs, free educational materials, online support programs, and information about home-care services. You can contact LLS by phone, email or Live Chat. Callers to LLS who speak languages other than English may request the services of a language interpreter; medical interpretation services are available in 170 languages. LLS has chapter offices located throughout the United States and Canada.
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Please email [email protected] with any questions.
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Celebrating a Second Chance at Life
April 27th – May 3rd
Join thousands of transplant and CAR T-cell recipients and caregivers, from the comfort of your own home, for a week packed full of information, inspiration and community.
- Late and long-term effects of transplant and CAR T-cell therapy
- CAR T-cell therapy for myeloma and lymphoma
- Attention and memory problems after treatment
- Graft-versus-host disease
- Chronic fatigue and insomnia
- Sexual health after transplant
- Exercise and nutrition
- 5 workshops in Spanish
- And much more!
- Transplant and CAR T-cell therapy recipients, their caregivers and other family members
- Healthcare providers who want to learn more about managing life after transplant or CAR T-cell therapy
Please email [email protected] or call (888) 597-7674 with any questions
REGISTER NOW |
Do you want to connect with other patients and caregivers who are going through, or have gone through, similar experiences as you?
Whether you’d like to connect with others in person or virtually, we’ve got you covered. All of our resources are free of charge.
Our Peer-to-Peer Support Program connects patients and their family members with trained peer volunteers who have gone through a similar experience.
Matches are based on diagnosis, age, gender and other factors that might create a mutual understanding and ease of communication.
Live, weekly online chats provide a friendly and free forum each week for patients and caregivers to chat with others who are going through similar experiences.
We host 10 different chats, covering a variety of topic
Our Family Support Groups give patients and their families a place to go where they can share information, thoughts and feelings in a comfortable and caring environment.
There are currently 95 groups that meet either in-person or via zoom, with the number of groups growing each year.
LS Community is an online community for patients, caregivers, and healthcare professionals to share experiences and provide support.
This platform also provides information and resources to support patients and caregivers from diagnosis throughout the cancer journey.
The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society (LLS) offers the following financial assistance programs to help individuals with blood cancer. For a summary of all LLS Patient Financial Assistance Programs, click here.
Patient Financial Assistance Programs
Co-Pay Assistance Program provides assistance toward the cost of Private, Medicare, Medicaid, and TRICARE insurance premiums, and treatment-related co-pays and co-insurance for prescription drugs, labs, scans, tests, etc. Award levels vary by disease fund.
Dollar For (our partner) can help you apply for charity care at your hospital. They don’t pay your bills—they get the hospital to forgive them. And their services are entirely free.
Patient Aid Program provides a one-time $100 stipend to eligible blood cancer patients to help offset non-medical expenses.
Local Financial Assistance Programs provide assistance for non-medical expenses including transportation, housing, utilities, child/elder care, food, clothing, phone, acute dental work related to treatment. Eligible patients receive a $500 grant.
Susan Lang Pay-It-Forward Patient Travel Assistance Programs provide assistance for treatment-related transportation and lodging expenses. Eligible patients receive a $500 grant.
Susan Lang Pre CAR T-cell Therapy Travel Assistance Program provides assistance for treatment-related transportation and lodging expenses for patients who are being evaluated to receive CAR T-cell therapy as either standard treatment or a clinical trial. Eligible patients receive a $2,500 grant.
Urgent Need Programs provide assistance for non-medical expenses including rent, mortgage, lodging, utilities, childcare, elder care, food, transportation, car repair, car insurance, phone service, and acute dental work related to treatment. Eligible patients receive a $500 grant.
Veterans Dental Partnership provide assistance to Veterans with blood cancer to access dental care to begin lifesaving therapy or as a consequence of therapy. All expenses for the required dental care will be covered, as long as funding is available.
Other Financial Aid
For information about other financial aid, click here.
To access this page in Spanish, click here.
The LLS Scholarship for Blood Cancer Survivors provides up to $7,500 to cover tuition for virtual or in-person vocational, trade, two-year, or four-year undergraduate education for one year. Your future is now, and we want to support your dreams.
Being diagnosed with a blood cancer can make you feel like you are alone. The Bloodline with LLS is here to remind you that after a diagnosis comes hope. Listen in as experts and patients guide listeners in understanding diagnosis, treatment, and resources available to blood cancer patients. Join The Patient Education Team at The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society as they explore various survivorship topics.
Be sure to tune into the previous episode from CancerCon, where we heard from young adult cancer patients and survivors on the milestones and challenges that they have experienced along the road of survivorship.
To subscribe to The Bloodline with LLS, click here.
The Bloodline with LLS has a new episode!
LIVE! At CancerCon: Coping with Cancer
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Exclusive Access! Join The Bloodline with LLS Subscriber Lounge where you can gain access to exclusive content, discuss episodes, and make suggestions for future topics.
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Did you know that under federal law, non-profit hospitals must offer free or discounted medical care to low- and middle-income patients, even families making as much as $70,000-$90,000 a year?
Many patients don’t realize they may qualify for hospital financial assistance programs, also known as charity care. These programs can reduce or even eliminate medical bills.
The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society is proud to partner with Dollar For, a national nonprofit organization that helps patients apply for hospital debt forgiveness and eliminate medical bills. Their services are completely free!
[email protected].
Reach Out to Others for Support
The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society’s (LLS’s) support groups are the perfect place to talk with other people affected by blood cancers, including patients, family members and caregivers. The groups provide mutual support and offer the opportunity to discuss anxieties and concerns with others who share the same experiences. This sharing strengthens the family bond and enhances everyone’s ability to cope with cancer.
Family Support Groups
The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society (LLS) Family Support Groups program gives patients and their families a place to go where they can share information, education and feelings in a comfortable and caring environment.
Family Support Groups are for anyone affected by blood cancer and are free. There are currently 130 local groups, with the number of groups growing each year. Groups generally meet once a month.
Two credentialed health/mental health professionals who have extensive oncology and group work experience facilitate all Family Support Groups. They’re prepared to handle sensitive issues such as loss, guilt, treatment questions and family stressors.
The groups are not a replacement for psychotherapy. They’re designed to provide mutual support and education to members who may feel a little less alone by meeting with others whose situations are similar to their own. Family Support Groups can be looked at as a coping tool, in conjunction with your or a loved one’s medical treatment.
Find a Support Group Near You
To learn more about the support group nearest you, please contact your local LLS Region.
Lymphoma Research Foundation
The Lymphoma Research Foundation (LRF) is the nation’s largest non-profit organization devoted to funding innovative research and serving the lymphoma community through a comprehensive series of education programs, outreach initiatives and patient services. LRF’s mission is to eradicate lymphoma and serve those touched by this disease.
LRF remains dedicated to finding a cure for lymphoma through an aggressively-funded research program and by supporting the next generation of lymphoma researchers. LRF provides education for people with lymphoma, their loved ones and caregivers, including comprehensive disease guides and facts sheets, in-person conferences and online resources.
The Foundation also provides continuing medical education programs designed to increase the knowledge, skills and performance of healthcare professionals. The LRF Advocacy and Public Policy Program, and fundraising programs – including Active Lifestyle events and Lymphoma Walks – encourage members of the lymphoma community to become involved and support the LRF mission. The Foundation’s patient services, including the LRF Helpline, Clinical Trials Information Service, financial assistance programs and Lymphoma Support Network, provide direct support to people with lymphoma.
National Foundation for Transplants (NFT)
Mission to empower transplant patients to create futures with hope; to help patients and their loved ones obtain financial assistance for medical expenses.
- Offers fundraising assistance and guidance along the way
- Each patient may have a personal page on the NFT website, allowing donors to learn about the patient’s story and easily make a donation
- Provides extensive media outreach on behalf of the patient
National Marrow Donor Program and Be The Match (NMDP)
Provides assistance to people in need of a bone marrow/umbilical cord blood transplants; and is dedicated to creating an opportunity for all patients to receive a transplant when they need it. NMDP operates the Be The Match Registry®, the world’s largest listing of potential marrow donors and donated cord blood units.
- Be The Match Foundation Patient Assistance Program, for patients who pursue a transplant through Be The Match®, may be eligible for financial aid programs to help pay for the cost of a donor search and for some post-transplant expenses
- Provides an extensive collection of education materials, webcast presentations
- Be The Match Patient Services has a team dedicated to helping you learn about marrow and cord blood transplant as a treatment option, the overall transplant process, and what to expect after transplant
- Peer Connect Program puts a patient/caregiver in touch with one of NMDP’s trained volunteers — who are transplant recipients and caregivers — to answer questions and share their own transplant experiences.
- The Caregiver’s Companion Program- combines a useful toolkit with the personalized, confidential support of a caregiver coach who understands transplant and the caregiver role.
- Receive a toolkit that includes the Caregiver’s Companion book with tips, ideas and stories from other caregivers
- Be paired with a trained Be The Match® coach who will work with your schedule to find a time that’s best for you to talk by telephone
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