Santa showed up early this year in a Chicago neighborhood, to the delight of dozens of children. However, his early visit to the area comes with an extra special purpose.
Mr. Kringle was headed to the home of Raquel Lopez, a mother with four children who is currently fighting against colorectal cancer. This was the second of a total of four stops that Santa made that day, paying special visits to families dealing with cancer in the Southland area. Read the original article in the Chicago Tribune.
The special visits were facilitated by the non-profit organization called Christmas Without Cancer. The group is operated almost entirely by volunteers, and serves needy families afflicted with cancer by providing gifts and basic necessities.
Despite the Christmas themed name, the group actually operates discreetly on a year round basis, providing financial support via gas station gift cards, medication, groceries, and occasionally helping with school tuition and mortgages. The Santa Claus visit is an annual event that the group organizes specifically for cancer-affected families with small children.
The group’s impact and engagement has been growing rapidly, and their actions help foster a feeling of giving and charity around the holidays. The group was founded by Gerri Neylon, who worked for many years as a radiation oncology nurse. After witnessing the grave challenges of cancer firsthand, Neylon decided that she wanted to keep giving back. In many cases of serious illness such as cancer, the medical bills pile-on rapidly, so even small donations can help alleviate the financial burden that comes with treatment.
Lopez was first diagnosed while pregnant earlier in the year. She gave birth to healthy newborn son, Maximus. For Lopez, the assistance provided by Christmas Without Cancer has allowed her to dedicate more of her time to family and her children especially. Like many serious diseases, cancer can be a time consuming ordeal, particularly during treatment, so time with the family becomes far more scarce and valuable.
Holidays such as Christmas can often be an exceptionally trying time for families dealing with cancer and rare diseases. When others are celebrating, the burden of illness can feel much heavier. The value of organizations such as Christmas Without Cancer cannot be measured.
