This year, the Daniela Conte Foundation (DCF) is honored to receive a $20,125 grant from the 14th Annual Subaru Share the Love Event. This annual fundraising event has donated over $225 million to local and national charities since it began in 2008. Hasset Subaru of Wantagh, NY chose DCF as their hometown charity and beneficiary for this year’s campaign. This grant will significantly help us expand our commitment in easing financial burdens for local families with children battling pediatric cancer.
The National Institutes for Health reports that the cost of childhood cancer treatment in the United States begins at $833,000 – That’s just the medical portion of the expenses associated with pediatric cancer. Families of patients are also burdened with additional costs such as transportation to get to and from appointments, meals on the go, childcare for the other children at home, and more - all while surviving on fewer work hours.
In fact, 94 percent of parents cut their working hours to care for their sick children, reducing their household income at a time when financial obligations skyrocket. In 2020, the National Institutes for Health reported that families with a child undergoing cancer treatment are at an increased risk of falling below the poverty line - a direct correlation to the financial burden of their child’s illness. Often, families are even reduced to one income, as caring for the sick child becomes a full-time role.
“Being a caregiver to a sick child is a full-time job,” says Katia Conte, President and Co-Founder of DCF. “There are no benefits or pay for those who take on this role to help their child survive.”
The study also noted that many of these families are forced to make decisions about their child’s care and treatment based on their costs rather than potential outcomes. At DCF, we started our In-Treatment Support program to keep families from being faced with that heart-wrenching decision. No family should have to make a choice between paying their bills or paying for their child’s treatments.
“This check is going to help our family in many ways. We have to travel about an hour to get to the doctor's office and hospital, and we go at least once a week. The money will help with gas from getting back and forth. It will also help with some groceries. We can't express how grateful we are to get this donation. Thank you so much." - Tiffany, Lily's Mom
Whether assistance is sought to help with medical expenses like copays and prescriptions, or basic needs like gas and groceries, DCF offers a financial lifeline to struggling families of pediatric cancer patients. This grant from the Subaru Share the Love Event expands our ability to help each and every one of these families, like Lily’s, so they can focus on what matters most: their child’s recovery.
We want to give a huge thank you to Hassett Subaru of Wantagh for their generous grant and for supporting our mission. Our team at DCF echoes a statement made by Subaru regarding the Share the Love Event:
“There’s no limit to the amount of love we can all share.”
Written by: Amanda Lee, Director of Marketing & Communications