Patient Advocacy

Ayesha Azam, VP of Medical Affairs at the Patient Access Network Foundation, explains the different ways that this organization provides financial assistance and grants for nearly 70 different medical conditions, including cancers and rare diseases. Find out if you qualify for financial support.

A chest x-ray and a CT scan revealed a diagnosis of stage IV (advanced) non–small-cell lung cancer after John Doll was experiencing shortness of breath and a lingering cold.

Shortly after his college graduation, Danny Heinsohn’s world turned upside down when he learned he had a brain tumor. He shares his inspiring story of overcoming adversity and finding something to celebrate every day, even while dealing with cancer.

Kathy Gram faced colorectal cancer with a positive attitude, good humor, and support from family and close friends. When her disease was in remission, she shared her hard-won wisdom with others as a Patient Advocate. She reflected on the lessons she had learned as a 12-year cancer survivor.

Dennis Golden was an active, fit, 70-year-old when he learned he had prostate cancer. He was surprised to discover that few men know the warning signs and how potentially serious it can be. In response, he formed the National Prostate Cancer Awareness Foundation to educate men about this disease.

Lisa Lurie went from “bald, breastless, and bewildered” to all-glammed-up as a cancer survivor and founder of Cancer Be Glammed, a nonprofit organization that empowers women to recover with dignity and positive self-esteem. Last fall, Lisa was a finalist for CONQUER’s Hero of Hope Patient Award, and although she didn’t win, this experience was a milestone in her cancer story.

Wenora Y. Johnson, 3-time survivor, shares her cancer story and encourages patients to ask their care team about biomarker testing.

After facing the potential financial burden of his own medical bills, cancer survivor David Mitchell founded Patients for Affordable Drugs, a nonprofit organization aimed to control the cost of drugs and make them affordable for patients with cancer.

Hope Nemiroff’s inability to easily get answers to some of her questions during her breast cancer experience led her to establish Breast Cancer Options, which offers free services, education, and advocacy to patients with breast cancer.