The Family Care Program is a program of the Nassif Community Cancer Center and is funded by a grant from Aiming for a Cure Foundation.
Ellie Droesch of Cedar Rapids was diagnosed with breast cancer in March 2023 at the age of 27. After about two years of treatment, she learned the cancer had progressed to stage IV. Droesch’s cancer journey has been a challenging road for her and her family – she has a husband and two daughters, ages 11 and 5 – but with the support of the Nassif Community Cancer Center’s Family Care Program, the Droesch’s have received support and even the opportunity to go on a birthday trip of a lifetime.
Supporting the Whole Family Through Cancer
The Nassif Community Cancer Center established the Family Care Program with a grant from Aiming for a Cure Foundation to provide extra support for cancer patients who have children in the home, because cancer affects the whole family.
“Through the Family Care Program, we support families affected by cancer in many ways,” said Barb Lorenz, LBSW, oncology social worker at the Community Cancer Center. “This includes education, resources and special events like our day at the Kernels or the annual holiday celebration, where we give families a chance to have fun and take some time away from the daily appointments, tests and treatments that come with having cancer. For our stage IV patients with kids in the home, we are proud to offer what we call ‘Making Memories,’ where we provide funds to help those patients take a trip with their families and provide the children memories they can cherish for a lifetime.”
Planning to Make Memories
Upon receiving news her cancer had progressed, the Droesch’s started planning to go see Ellie’s extended family on the west coast. Lorenz shared with Ellie about the “Making Memories” program and how it could provide some financial support.
“My family is pretty scattered across the country, so getting together doesn’t happen very often,” shared Ellie. “When I received the stage IV diagnosis, it kind of put things in perspective and we decided we needed to make a trip to see them. The extra funds allowed us to extend the trip and surprise the kids with a bigger vacation where we could make memories with them.”
For their “Making Memories” experience, the Droesch’s planned to fly out to California for a week and a half. They started in southern California where they would visit amusement parks before heading north to see Ellie’s family.
Family and Fun – A Birthday Trip to California
The Droesch’s headed for SoCal shortly after their daughters finished the school year in June. They met up with Ellie’s brother and wife and started with a day at Universal Studios followed by four days at Disneyland where the workers created truly magical memories for them on Ellie’s 30th birthday.
“We were at Disney on my birthday, which was really fun.” Ellie shared. “That night we were waiting for their big fireworks show to start and one of the cast members came up to us and asked if we wanted to be moved to a special seating area right in the front. Then they came back a little later and asked if our daughters wanted to kick off the show by waving the magic wand to wake up Mickey Mouse. It was a magical moment we weren’t expecting but are extremely grateful for.”
Following their time at the parks, the family headed up to northern California to see Ellie’s parents, sister and other extended family.
“We had a big family reunion dinner with aunts and uncles I don’t get to see very often,” shared Ellie. “We went to Muir Woods National Forest and traveled around together in a minivan. We also took a ferry over to San Francisco and just had a really lovely time.”
Putting Cancer on the Back Burner
Ellie’s more than two-year-long battle with cancer has led to changes in the family’s routine and been an adjustment for everyone, which is why Ellie was happy this trip could provide an opportunity for them to enjoy time together and not think about cancer.
“My youngest has basically grown up with me having cancer and my oldest is old enough where she’s not naïve to the situation,” said Ellie. “With me constantly being in treatment, cancer has become a normalized part of our lives. We haven’t been able to go out or travel as much as we’d like to and haven’t had a vacation since I was diagnosed. The Family Care Program was amazing because it gave us the excuse to make those memories and put cancer on the back burner. It meant everything to us.”
The Family Care Program – Because Cancer Affects the Whole Family
If you’d like to learn more about the Family Care Program and what it provides to cancer patients with children in the home, call (319) 558-4876 or visit communitycancercenter.org. To learn more about our community partner, Aiming for a Cure Foundation visit aimingforacure.com.
The Family Care Program’s “Making Memories” is offered to patients with stage IV cancer that has been deemed incurable who have children under 18 years old in the home. The family receives financial support to plan a trip to experience family time and make memories together. The Family Care Program does not automatically fully fund the trip. The funds the family receives is a set amount based on family size, and the family can choose to go on a smaller trip with the stipend amount or put it toward a larger trip. The family has full autonomy to decide where they will travel and what they will do, allowing them to do what they find meaningful as a family while experiencing a little less financial burden. When a patient is determined to have qualified for “Making Memories,” our oncology social workers collaborate with UnityPoint Health – St. Luke’s Foundation and the Aiming for a Cure Foundation to secure the funds for the patient and their family.
