You Don’t Have to Go Through It Alone
Tammy Sasser’s husband Kenneth was first diagnosed with throat cancer in 2014. He went through treatment and was told he was in the clear, but then his cancer returned a year later. Eventually, he was let go from his job because of his illness and the time he spent out of work receiving treatment. It was at that point that a friend from their church recommended that Tammy seek help from Cancer Navigators.
“I didn’t know where to begin…I didn’t know what to do,” explained the stay-at home mother of four boys. “Kenneth had always taken care of the bills, and finances were short. Plus Christmas and birthdays were coming up.” Tammy was not able to work at the time because she was constantly having to drive her husband from their home in Adairsville to Emory University Hospital in Atlanta.
Tammy says the staff at Cancer Navigators walked her through the process of getting the boys on Wellcare, since they no longer had health insurance. They also helped her children in other ways. “I went to Cancer Navigators right before Christmas, and they told me they had a Christmas wish list and asked me to hurry and fill out the form so they could provide presents for my boys.” Tammy says someone who wished to remain anonymous also gave the staff at Cancer Navigators a card with money in it, which helped get the family through the holidays. “That was a true blessing.”
Tammy was also given gas cards from Cancer Navigators to help cover the costs of the trips back and forth to Emory. She also visited the counselor several times. “All I had to do was pick up the phone if I had a question, and the staff would answer it for me,” said Tammy.
Kenneth passed away in April 2016. Tammy says the staff at Cancer Navigators have been there through every part of her family’s journey. “Talking to someone else who knows or has dealt with somebody who is going through cancer is truly a relief, because not many people know what to say or do or even who to refer you to.” Through tears, Tammy summed up the purpose of Cancer Navigators: “Cancer is a terrible disease, but you don’t have to go through it alone. There are people out there who will help you get through it.”