Our Story

Founder’s story:

When we first encountered Teresa, she was seated in the surgical waiting room of a local hospital. Through tears, she began to share her touching story, revealing a set of circumstances that inspired our foundation. Teresa is a single mother and her daughter, Liliana, has cancer. Like over 10 million other children in the United States, Liliana is uninsured. Only 9 years old and aspiring to be a veterinarian, Liliana had been diagnosed with cancer at the age of 7. As her illness grew, her mother had to choose between caring for her child or working her job. Unable to balance so many obligations, Teresa chose to quit her job and tend to her sick child. This decision gradually proved to be quite devastating. With no income, Teresa was unable to pay for the expensive medical bills though they continued to pile. To make matters worse, Teresa’s status as an unemployed single mother, made obtaining a loan a tremendous challenge. “Looking into my baby’s eyes is the only time I stop thinking about my debts,” Teresa confessed. Her story demands attention. How many others do you suppose are in a similar if not the same situation? Too many.

Words cannot describe how difficult it is for a parent to choose between working, or sacrificing those hours to take care of a child. To us, this encounter was nothing short of a dawning realization of the hidden complications that woe us Americans everyday. We have began to see such moments as opportunities to learn, and apply what we have learned to create a system of preemptive measures, to protect fellow citizens from emotional harm, and a possible financial ruin. For these very reasons, the steps were taken to found The American Foundation for Children with Cancer, which we believe will do its part to provide assistance to families in their moment of need.