Last Friday, Carmen Bischel, a mother who was previously served by Nankind, presented Nankind with a $7,800 cheque to support the work that we do to lessen the burden of cancer for parents on a cancer journey.
Bischel, a member of 100+ Women Who Care Lennox and Addington, nominated to be their latest donor recipient. Each 100+ Women who care meeting give members the opportunity to make a pitch for an organization of their choice, which is then voted on by the members. The winning organization is then presented with a cheque from funds donated by the members.
When asked why she nominated Nankind for the donation, Bischel said’ “They have been so wonderful to me, especially when I was going to start radiation after chemo and surgery. Those were more every couple of weeks sort of thing. But once it came time for radiation I thought what am I going to do about childcare? which is everyday. And they sent me a nanny”
Her nanny was Denise Lewis, who was also at the cheque presentation held of Friday.
“It’s four hours of free childcare for the parents that are going through chemo”, said Lewis. “It’s basically whatever they want to do from soup to nuts. If the kids are really young we play outside, do crafts games and you get to know your kids and get to know what their needs are. More importantly it’s what their parents are able to do. They’re able to go for treatments, they’re able to have a nap if if they need it. Laundry, housework, shopping. The things that are hard to get done when you’re going through treatment. It’s just knowing that your kids are being taken care of, they’re safe and having fun.”
Bischel’s treatment was at the height of the pandemic, which mean she had an additional challenge of unexpected school closures and a sudden need for childcare.
“Denise was absolutely fabulous”, said Bischel. “Anything you need, any time, extremely flexible. You have a lot to worry about. Nothing stops when you have cancer. All your responsibilities are still there. To know that somebody wonderful that your children love is taking care of them while you’re away is just a weight off your shoulders.”
We are grateful to all the members of 100+ Women Who care for this incredible donation towards reducing the social impact of cancer. To learn more about the support we offer families, visit our get help page.