Hope, Help, and a Holiday Meal: Karen’s Story of Gratitude

Your generosity makes a profound difference for cancer patients receiving care at the MultiCare Cancer Institute – North Star Lodge. One of those patients is Karen, who is currently undergoing treatment and navigating the financial and emotional strain that often accompanies a cancer diagnosis.

Each year, the Helping Hands fund provides $45,000 in direct financial assistance to patients in active treatment at North Star Lodge. This assistance is made possible through community support like the donors of the Bruce McDonnell Emergency fund, created in 2007 to honor former patient Bruce McDonnell. What began as one family’s desire to help others has grown into a reliable source of immediate, practical support for hundreds of patients.

During the holidays, the fund ensures patients can enjoy a holiday meal with their families. This past season, 30 patients received $100 grocery gift cards, easing the burden of rising costs and helping families create meaningful moments together.

For Karen, the impact was deeply personal. “Every year, my family has a little party and a big meal together for Christmas Eve,” she shares. “This year I was in tears as my son took me shopping with the gift card I received. Even more than the financial relief, it was so touching to know people care about making our holiday special in the middle of such a difficult time. It meant so much to me, and I get teary every time I talk about it.”

Your support shows patients like Karen that they are not facing cancer alone, and your generosity brings real moments of hope into some of their hardest days.