How you can help the cancer communities affected by Harvey and Irma
As Texas begins to recover from Hurricane Harvey and Florida braces for Hurricane Irma, we want to share resources for helping our fellow cancer control communities and the vulnerable populations they serve.
We were encouraged last week to see stories of people and systems working together to protect Harvey’s most vulnerable victims — including patients receiving treatment for cancer and other life-threatening illnesses.
For example, when Houston’s MD Anderson Cancer Center partially closed because of flooding, hospitals in Alabama and Louisiana welcomed patients to minimize disruptions in treatment. And the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society announced financial help to blood cancer patients displaced by the storm.
There are many ways you can help the cancer control community in southeastern Texas. Below are just a few examples:
- Donate to the Texas Hospital Association’s fund for hospital employees displaced by flooding.
- Support one of the relief agencies on this list from the American Public Health Association.
- Consider helping in person. Out of state medical workers can temporarily work in Texas without a state license to assist with recovery efforts.
This list will be updated in the coming days to include ways to help patients, hospitals, and others in Florida, as the storm progresses.
Are you prepared for an emergency? These tools from the National Cancer Institute can help providers, patients, and researchers in Wisconsin and elsewhere prepare for an emergency closer to home.