How to Help a Friend with Cancer

Having a friend or family member diagnosed with cancer can be overwhelming for everyone involved. Focusing on the treatment, mental health, physical health and recovery of the patient is paramount. Despite having the desire to assist their loved one, it can be difficult for friends and family members to know how they can help. 

While there are no set rules when it comes to helping someone with cancer, here are some practical tips to assist you in supporting your loved one as best as you can…

Show You Care

• Check in regularly on your friend or family member. While you don’t want to pester them — especially if they are not feeling great — sending short, but frequent, notes, texts, Facebook messages or emails lets them know you are thinking about them and you are there for them when/if they need your help.

• Don’t bombard your friend or family member with 1000 questions but do ensure you regularly ask if there is anything they need, such as food, lifts to the hospital, a cleaner or just some company.

• Return their messages right away

• While it might be awkward to speak about finances, make sure you broach the idea of financial support or help during their treatment. Financial pressure puts enormous strain on anyone, let alone someone with serious health issues. Many cancer patients struggle to cover the cost of their mortgage, general living expenses and non-PBS medication while they undergo treatment. More family members and friends are turning to crowdfunding as a way to help cancer patients during this time.

Friends, family members, coworkers and associates are more than happy to contribute to someone’s recovery. A mycause campaign can easily assist in getting these donations and dispersing them monthly to the patient's bank account.

You may even decide to set a challenge for yourself while your loved one battles their own challenges. Why not run a marathon? Shave your head? Hike a mountain? Abstain from something you love for a month? You can set up a campaign for whatever challenge you like on mycause and raise funds while showing your support for your friend or family member with cancer.

Strength in Numbers…

Helping someone with cancer does not need to be overwhelming. You can join forces with a group of friends, family members or coworkers and give your support in numbers.

If you do decide to fundraise for your friend or family member, then each of you can be responsible for different parts of the campaign (starting page, working with the patient on getting images, sending out to people to donate). Everyone should promote the campaign on their own social media accounts, to get as much support as possible. 

Each month, approximately 100 Australians start a cancer fundraising campaign on mycause for someone they love. You can fundraise to help your friend or family member with their relocation costs, household expenses, loss of wages, non-PBS drugs, overseas treatment or even achieving their bucket list.

 

Kai Chase is a young father of two diagnosed with Lymphoma in mid-2015. After losing Kai's income and struggling to meet the family’s daily needs including a mortgage and Kai's medical costs, his family and friends rallied together to start a crowdfunding campaign on mycause. After only a month, more than $21,000 was raised for the Chase Family.

 

 

 

Rylan Moyle is a six year old boy from Bendigo, Victoria who was diagnosed with Leukaemia. Living almost two hours out of Melbourne, Ryan’s parents and baby sister have had to relocate while Ryan undergoes treatment at the Royal Children's Hospital Melbourne, putting significant financial strain on the young family of four. With a strong community of friends and family in and around Victoria, a crowdfunding campaign was set up for the Moyle’s with more than $13,000 raised in a few short weeks.

 

When New South Wales teenager Matthew Connolly lost his battle to Ewing's Sarcoma — a rare adolescent bone and soft tissue cancer that he fought since 2012, his loved ones came together to support Matthew’s family with funeral and headstone costs.

"He was a great son and an inspiration who never stopped smiling," says Matthew's mother Megan Donald.

With nearly $5000 raised, Matthew’s family were grateful for the financial support they received following Matthew’s passing.