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Testimonials

THE EFFECTS OF ILLNESS ON A FAMILY

Many parents' paychecks are reduced because of necessary time off from work due to excessive sick days, clinic visits and hospitalizations, while other parents may actually lose jobs, incomes and benefits because of their unreliable work schedule. These parents are forced to make decisions of buying medications or paying the utility bills, repairing the car or purchasing handicap equipment, paying for hospital meals, parking fees and extra transportation costs or paying the rent. Everyday expenses become unmanageable due to the increased medical and out-of-pocket costs of serious illness. The loss of homes and services are the side-effects of families caring for seriously ill children.

Sometimes these expenses keep parents from visiting a hospitalized child adding to the stress of the parent, ill child and the medical team. Fear of job loss, decreased pay checks, or adequate child care for well siblings add to the stress and separation of many parents and their hospitalized children. Single parents and grandparents acting as legal guardians for sick children are affected even more so as they have less resources available to assist them during a crisis. Also, parents, with drug or alcohol addictions, are easy prey for abusive behaviors to resurface when overwhelming stresses occur during the care of a seriously ill, severely injured or disabled child.

TESTIMONY FROM SOCIAL WORKERS

“Dear Staff at the Kelly Anne Dolan Memorial Fund,

We would like to thank you for your generosity during this past holiday season, as well as your continued support for our families during the year. We can only imagine the amount of time that you put into the holiday program and the skill that it takes to organize such a large effort. We know that the financial assistance that our families receive during the year is a valuable gift. In some cases it helps the families maintain a roof over their head or their heat so that their child can remain in the home with his or her family. The Ventilator Assisted Children’s Home Program staff and the families that we work with are extremely grateful for your assistance and wish you continued growth. Again, thank you.”

“We wanted to write to thank you for your unyielding support to the patients in the Nephrology Division and their families this past year. Your Fund has helped numerous families we work with to cover household expenses that are difficult to manage when one’s child is unexpectedly hospitalized, chronically ill, on dialysis or receiving a kidney transplant. The families always tell us how much this generous and practical support makes a difference to them.

From the social work staff perspective, the unique quality of your program is the “user friendly”, prompt and efficient application process, and the lack of waiting periods, long application forms and eligibility requirements that other funds require. In other words, the Dolan Fund “makes it happen”! This is what makes a difference to a family in need with a sick child.

Thank you for everything, Peggy, to you and to your staff.”
 

"As a hospice social worker working with chronic and terminally ill children and their families, I have had the opportunity to apply for financial assistance through your Memorial Fund.

I feel it is important to let you know how grateful I am for your help, compassion and support on behalf of families challenged by financial burdens while struggling to cope with the sometimes overwhelming task of caring for seriously ill children.

The message of hope that your organization provides, not only in your monetary contribution, but through your passionate expression that one need not journey alone, is often critical in allowing families to navigate though these difficult periods.

Thank you."

TESTIMONY FROM PARENTS

“There comes a time in your life when you can’t help but hang your head low. Nobody plans for this to happen, it just does. My family found itself in a situation it has never been in before. My wife made me aware of assistance available to us but my pride kept getting in the way. The closer it got to Christmas, the more I thought about disappointing my children. I swallowed my pride.

The smile on my kid’s faces and the laughter in the air made me realize that there is nothing wrong with asking for help. Everyone involved brought so much happiness to my family that words cannot express out gratitude.

Anyone who had a part in this should be so pound of themselves. Not only did you save Christmas for our family, but also you have reinforced our belief that there is still so much good in the world, and that the true meaning of Christmas is not in the gifts but in the deeds you have done.

Thank you and God bless.”