Easing the Financial Burden of Cancer
A cancer diagnosis brings challenges that reach far beyond the treatment room. For many patients at the Shaw Cancer Center, treatment can mean lost wages, long drives to appointments, and a steady stream of bills. Thanks to benefactor support, the Shaw Patient Assistance Fund helps ease that burden and provides peace of mind during a difficult time.
The fund helps individuals experiencing financial hardship with non-medical expenses, such as rent or mortgage payments, utilities, transportation, car repairs, groceries, and other essential needs. This assistance relieves financial stress, allowing patients to focus on their health, their families, and their path toward recovery.
“Your gift helps transform financial hardship into hope,” said Erin Perejda, Clinical Social Worker and Supportive Care Services Manager at Shaw Cancer Center.
Support for Patients of All Ages
Erin sees firsthand how the fund reaches patients of all ages. “I have the honor of watching the generosity of this community make a real impact on patients—from young adult cancer patients in their 30s struggling with lost wages during treatment, to working parents trying to ensure the mortgage gets paid and food gets on the table, to older adults in their 70s living on fixed incomes who face the added stress of traveling to and from treatment,” she said.
Shea’s Story
One month after opening her small business, Shea was diagnosed with breast cancer. Facing six rounds of chemotherapy followed by surgery, she made the difficult decision to close her business because she could no longer provide the dependable care her clients deserved.
When Shea told her care team she needed help with groceries and transportation to appointments, the Shaw Cancer Center responded without hesitation. Through the fund, she received $1,000 in gift cards to cover both.
“It was a tremendous weight lifted off my shoulders,” Shea said. “The Shaw Cancer Center’s ability to provide timely and meaningful support to patients like me is deeply comforting.”
The Value of Generosity
In 2025, the Shaw Patient Assistance Fund distributed $67,819 to 46 people facing cancer treatment. This support is made possible by the generosity of our benefactors.
For Erin, the impact goes deeper than dollars. “The funds provided through the Shaw Patient Assistance Fund go beyond their cash value—they restore a sense of faith in the goodness of people,” she said. “What a gift that is!”
Learn more about applying to Vail Health’s Patient Assistance Funds.
