It’s Personal

 Written by: Melissa Kovalesky, Co-Founder & President
Many of us have been personally touched by a cancer diagnosis, either knowing someone, caring for someone, or even being the one diagnosed. This journey involves not only providing care and support but also dealing with immense stress, grief, and financial challenges. The financial burden of paying for essential living expenses while undergoing cancer treatment can be overwhelming and seem impossible to manage. These needs include finding a safe place to live, providing groceries for the family, covering transportation costs to and from treatment, and funding life-saving medical care.

Understanding this struggle all too well, cancer became personal to me, leading me to co-found Families Raising Hope (FRH) with our friends, Jeff and Jenny McGinnis.

On September 6, 2013, almost three months after my 30th birthday, we received devastating news that my life was about to change forever. After numerous scans, biopsies, and blood tests, I was diagnosed with Chronic Myeloid Leukemia, a rare form of leukemia that would require lifelong treatment. Our children were two and five years old, we were approaching our 7th wedding anniversary, and I had just returned to teaching.

Despite the terrifying diagnosis, life continued around us, and we faced two choices: do nothing or turn this nightmare into something powerful and hopeful. Choosing the latter, we established Families Raising Hope with the mission to provide financial assistance to individuals in Arizona undergoing cancer treatment.

Our aim is to alleviate the financial toxicity of treatment, allowing patients and their families to focus on their health, healing, and recovery. Together, we aspire to turn the challenges of a cancer diagnosis into opportunities for HOPE and support in our community.