Helping Hands

While Janie Hughes was undergoing treatment for multiple myeloma – a cancer of the antibody-producing plasma cells of the blood – she spent a great deal of time watching other Vanderbilt-Ingram patients struggle with financial issues, in addition to their cancer. She and her husband, Bob, wanted to make a donation that would be meaningful.

“Bob Hughes told us he didn’t want to build a memorial wall with their name on it, he wanted to use the funds to help other people,” remembered Carey Clifton, a nurse practitioner in the stem cell transplant long-term care clinic. “We started talking about people whose transplants were delayed because they could not afford preventive dental treatment or necessary repairs prior to transplant.”

Cancer patients often experience tooth or gum problems as a side effect of cancer treatment. They must have dental problems fixed prior to transplant because those problems could cause potentially life-threatening infections. Private insurance doesn’t always cover those costs.

“Janie thought there was no justice in the world if people couldn’t get their cure because they couldn’t pay for the dentist,” Clifton said. “If people needed dentures, she wanted them to get dentures.”

The Hughes family discussed the issue with another couple, Chad and Haley Welch, while Chad was undergoing treatment for acute myelogenous leukemia. Friends of Chad had already started “Team Chad,” a fundraising organization to aid research in leukemia and lymphoma.

Together, the families decided to help launch the Hematology Helping Hands Fund, dedicated to providing financial support to cancer patients, as well as cancer research.

“The primary doctor for Chad and Janie was Dr. Madan Jagasia at Vanderbilt-Ingram. I believe Dr. Jagasia can move mountains, and I will give him every cent that I have for this cause because I trust him that much,” said Haley Welch. “We’ve seen people die because they didn’t have insurance to pay the thousands and thousands of dollars it costs to do a stem cell transplant. It was heartbreaking, and it is not acceptable.”

The Hematology Helping Hands Fund, administered through the Development Office of Vanderbilt-Ingram, provides funds for direct patient care, as well as research.

While both Chad Welch and Janie Hughes died from their cancer, their families continue to raise funds to fight the disease.
“While Chad was alive, we were involved in ‘Light the Night,’ the annual fundraiser for the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society,” said Haley. “After Chad died, it was so cathartic for his friends and family to continue to raise money. The question was, ‘where do we put this money?’

“We wanted to focus on something that had impacted us. We weren’t sure how and where to focus our efforts, and Carey Clifton stepped in and told us there was a way to do this.”

Clifton says the Helping Hands Fund is the fulfillment of her promise to the two families.

“Part of the money is used for research projects, and the rest goes to fulfill their wishes, helping patients in little ways to make a huge difference,” said Clifton. “It made me feel great knowing that these patients, even at the most stressful point in their lives, formed such a strong bond with other families and wanted to help others.

To know that we’ve been able to help make that happen warms your heart. It makes what we do worthwhile.”

If you are interested in making a donation to the Helping Hands Fund, visit www.vicc.org/giving and designate Helping Hands Fund in the comments box.

More information about Team Chad at: www.teamchad.us/index.htm.