Cancer Wellness Foundation of Central Alabama

Receiving a cancer diagnosis is devastating for anyone, but what if your fear was driven by having to decide between paying for fuel in your vehicle to get to the cancer center or paying your water bill? What if you had to decide between buying your medications or paying your mortgage? This was the reality for many patients in Central Alabama. So 25 years ago, three oncologists recognized the need and established the foundation.

The mission of the Cancer Wellness Foundation of Central Alabama is to provide supportive services, educational services and assistance to cancer patients throughout central Alabama - including those patients who lack the resources necessary to otherwise receive comprehensive healthcare.

The Cancer Wellness Foundation is dedicated to providing direct patient support and services to the insured, uninsured and underinsured qualifying patients once a diagnosis has been made. They have a small staff of five that consists of the executive director, medication and transportation coordinator, program assistant and office manager.

The Foundation gives help and hope by:

• Providing transportation or gas vouchers to and from chemotherapy and radiation treatments

• Obtaining prescription medications for free or at a low cost

• Coordinating free lymphedema compression products to breast cancer patients 

• Purchasing Boost for cancer patients at high risk of malnutrition

• Offering free wigs to any patient in need 

• Supplying Patient Education with Chemo Comfort Care bags to give to all new patients

• Advocating on behalf of patients while they negotiate insurance issues and government programs such as social security, disability and Medicaid