The Heart of the Matter
A Nurse's Perspective

When a family has a child diagnosed with cancer, their entire world is turned upside down, emotionally, financially in every which way. As a staff member in Hematology/Oncology at Rady Children's Hospital for 20 years, I have seen a lot: a single parent with her children eating out of one cup of noodle soup container for lunch for all of them. I have seen parents lose their jobs for missing work to be t their child's side during treatment. I have seen families struggle to come up with gas money to travel to the hospital so frequently. We have families who can't pay their phone bills so we can't get a hold of them when we need to for medical reasons. We have kids whose lives are narrowed down to hospital walls and painful procedures who deserve something special but all the money their family has must go to necessities. Imagine, if you will, just the overwhelming fear of having your child diagnosed with cancer--and superimpose upon it this kind of array of additional stressors.

The Blue Ryno Foundation is able to provide resources to our patients and families that were previously unavailable. These kind folks worked with one of our extraordinary families to get to the heart of the matter--asking them, "What would REALLY help?" The funds that the Blue Ryno Foundation have raised have assisted us in so many different ways: they have helped families pay their deductibles before insurances kick in, they have paid for rent, gas and food and bills--being there at such a critical time and allowing our families a chance to breathe just a little easier. In addition, Blue Ryno has worked closely with the Hem/Onc staff in special circumstances. They arranged plane fare for a child's sister so she could be there to say good bye before the little girl died. They have funded special outings to concerts or ball games or arranged for special gifts for these very sick children. They have stuffed our prize boxes full of toys so we have something special for the kids to look forward to after tough days in the treatment room. They have provided gift cards to grocery stores, gas stations, Target etc... The generosity of the Blue Ryno Foundation is matched only by their desire to insure that these families are getting exactly the kind of help they so desperately need. But none of it could happen without people like you.

As a nurse who works with kids with cancer and their families day in and day out, I strongly encourage you to support the Blue Ryno Foundation. If you ever wonder where your money is going, you need not wonder with Blue Ryno: it goes to the heart of the matter, to the nitty gritty, to where it can do the most good. And all of us here at Hem/Onc thank you from the bottom of our hearts for your kind and giving spirit.
Amy Crisman, R.N.