When I was diagnosed with invasive lobular breast cancer in 2012, I was caught off guard.

I was a single mother of three daughters and did NOT have time for cancer, the treatments for cancer, or ongoing care for it. I especially could not die and leave my girls.

I started searching on the internet for different financial assistance options. I knew I was going to have chemotherapy, surgery and radiation. My doctors wanted to throw every tool in the toolbox at me since I was only 42 when I was diagnosed. Every time I went to a new doctor, it was of course, a specialist. What that meant was that each time I went there was a co-payment of at least $50.

In searching for assistance, I found an organization called Love of Linda Cancer Fund. They helped cancer patients by sending them a payment quarterly. There were only two requirements to receive that payment. The patient had to live in Cape May County, NJ and had to be undergoing cancer treatments. There were no requirements on how to spend the money, you could use it for anything you needed.

That is why I wanted to start the Love of Lisa Cancer & Lymphedema Fund. We will provide monetary assistance to cancer and lymphedema patients in the Northern Virginia and Eastern Panhandle area of West Virginia. There are no income limits, no restrictions on type of cancer, lymphedema can be either primary or secondary, and no spending requirements.

<p class="has-text-align-left" value="<amp-fit-text layout="fixed-height" min-font-size="6" max-font-size="72" height="80">Providing a sense of community in the local area is another big focus of our organization. We provide support through meeting once per month at Valley Health's Wellspring located in Winchester, we provide text message and phone call support to local cancer patients as well as organizing meal support and other resources. Providing a sense of community in the local area is another big focus of our organization. We provide support through meeting once per month at Valley Health’s Wellspring located in Winchester, we provide text message and phone call support to local cancer patients as well as organizing meal support and other resources.

<p class="has-text-align-left" value="<amp-fit-text layout="fixed-height" min-font-size="6" max-font-size="72" height="80">For more information like us on <a rel="noreferrer noopener" id="_idgpn_1033" href="https://www.facebook.com/loveoflisacancerlymphedemafund&quot; data-type="URL" data-id="https://www.facebook.com/loveoflisacancerlymphedemafund&quot; target="_blank">Facebook</a> and <a rel="noreferrer noopener" id="_idgpn_1034" href="https://www.instagram.com/love.of.lisa/&quot; data-type="URL" data-id="https://www.instagram.com/love.of.lisa/&quot; target="_blank">Instagram</a>, send us a message or fill out our contact form <a rel="noreferrer noopener" id="_idgpn_1035" href="https://loveoflisa.org/contact/&quot; data-type="URL" data-id="loveoflisa.org/contact/" target="_blank">here</a>. If you have been a cancer patient, lymphedema patient or caregiver, we would love to hear from you and have you join us!For more information like us on Facebook and Instagram, send us a message or fill out our contact form here. If you have been a cancer patient, lymphedema patient or caregiver, we would love to hear from you and have you join us!