Not long after Maria's 16 year old daughter Julia was diagnosed with kidney cancer and placed on a transplant waiting list, the family received more devastating news. Julia also had Hodgkin's Lymphoma and was now ineligible for a life-saving kidney transplant. Her only treatment option was chemotherapy and radiation which she received at a hospital that was about 90 miles away from their home.
Julia's illness impacted the family profoundly. Not only were they dealing with the heartbreak of a critical illness and difficult prognosis, but now they also faced a financial crisis. Travel costs, substantial medical bills and day-to-day living expenses totaled more than the family's meager income. Maria soon found herself in the untenable situation of having to choose between her daughter's medical needs and paying her monthly rent. But Maria persevered. She began to search for monetary assistance and enlisted the help of her caseworker. When Maria's caseworker applied to Annie's Fund for assistance Maria owed $2,000 in rent payments. Annie's Fund provided critical intervention helping Maria avert a financial crisis eliminating the threat of homelessness during a time of extreme need.
Maria later wrote to us stating, "Many years ago … a co-worker thought it would be good if I apply {for Annie's Fund} to finish my B.A. but my response was to leave it for someone else who may need it more. Who was to know that this same grant that I turned down… would be the one to give us a huge relief in our life?" Maria also said that the grant took a "huge load" off her shoulders. "My plan is to continue to [reassure] my family that everything is going to be OK."