| |
 |
| |
Alight's programs of work include: |
 |
 |
Financial Support| | Emergency Assistance Fund |
|
|
|
|
Educational Resources| | Your Breast Cancer
Treatment Handbook
-Author, Judy Kneece |
|
|
|
|
Informational Resources| | The Journey, Breast Cancer
Journal & Resource Guide |
|
|
|
|
Emotional Support| | Alight Tote Bag
Comfort Pillow
Pillow Instructional Card |
|
|
|
|
Community Outreach| | Educational Programs
Media Quick Response |
|
|
|
|
| |
It is important that a breast cancer patient be able to focus on treatment, healing, and wellness. Alight helps the patient do just that by providing financial, educational, and emotional support.
One of the most difficult aspects of breast cancer for many is not having adequate support and information. In addition, studies show that poor coping exerts a negative effect on all illness stages and on adjustment, often preventing the best possible outcome. Alight's program of work addresses this issue in addition to many other needs and concerns of breast cancer patients.
Until there is a cure for breast cancer, the Alight program of work will grow and change as needed to promote the highest quality of care for breast cancer patients in our community.
Emergency Assistance Fund
Alight's Emergency Assistance Fund helps patients focus on their treatment and wellness by assisting with everyday financial burdens such as rent, utilities, transportation, food, and childcare. The fund has also assisted with medications, COBRA payments, prosthesis, other breast cancer necessities, and certain expenses that may not be covered by insurances or hospital funds. To date, Alight has contributed over $50,000 to help more than 90 patients who faced irrefutable financial crisis when they needed to be focusing on their health.
| |
|
 |
Your Breast Cancer Treatment Handbook, Author, Judy Kneece
Alight purchases and distributes this comprehensive book to all newly diagnosed breast cancer patients. This book helps the patient and their loved ones become familiar with a new vocabulary, the diagnosis, treatment protocols and options, and offers many important visuals. Local breast cancer medical professionals and breast cancer survivors recommend this book as the best information to help patients make informed, immediate, life altering decisions. For a newly diagnosed patient who is overwhelmed and remembers very little of what they are told, this book is invaluable. With this book in-hand patients do not have to search the internet or scour through the library or book store looking for helpful information. |
| |
|
 |
The Journey, Breast Cancer Journal and Resource Guide
Every newly diagnosed breast cancer patient in our community receives this three-ring, 100-page, notebook which Alight researches, designs, prints, and distributes. The Journey is written to support both the patient and the patient's family or immediate support group.
This notebook provides valuable information in 12 categories, covering medical and community resources. An additional chapter covers the same subjects for Rockingham County patients. It aids a patient in finding help with financial and legal aid, transportation, non-cancer medical assistance, counseling, connecting to survivors and support programs, finding retailers with prosthesis, garments and wigs, and discovering exercise and beauty opportunities. There is information on the medical community, maps to their locations, and their helpful hints for each stage of treatment along with subjects such as medication, nutrition, and lymphedema.
This notebook helps a patient get organized by including a card holder for appointments and phone numbers, slash pocket holders for medication lists and monthly schedules, lined pages for questions and journaling.
The Moses Cone Breast Program writes the medical sections in the notebook and approves the information given to patients. |
| |
|
 |
Alight Tote Bag
The bag is given to every local, newly diagnosed breast cancer patient. The bag is intentionally not pink and contains no message about breast cancer. After researching the issue, Alight discovered that most patients upon diagnosis do not want to be "pinked" or advertise that they have received a breast cancer diagnosis. The bag gives them something new and a way to carry their materials to all of their appointments.
Comfort Pillow
A pillow is given to each patient inside the Alight Tote Bag. While Alight provides the fabric, different volunteer organizations provide the stuffing and the labor to make the pillows. Pillows are used in many ways: after a biopsy, lumpectomy, mastectomy, or reconstruction; after radiation to avoid skin irritation; to support drains; during deep breathing therapy; under the car seatbelt; to help with lymphedema issues; as a neck rest during chemotherapy; and in many other ways.
Pillow Card
This card is included in the tote bag with the pillow. The card helps the patient and family recognize the many ways a patient can be comforted. It also helps the medical professionals as they review with the patient their at-home care regimen. |
| |
|
 |
Educational Programs
Alight actively seeks opportunities to give presentations and speak about every aspect of breast cancer to groups of women and interested men. The members of the Alight Board of Directors feel strongly about going out into the community and providing educational programs about breast cancer. We are honored that the doctors on the Board of Directors are willing to give of their evening and weekend time to participate in these events.
Media Quick Response
The medical professionals on the Alight Board of Directors, with the support and agreement of the entire Alight Board, write responses or rebuttals to media pieces on anything related to breast cancer to provide additional insight and guidance to the local community. |
| |
|
|
|
