LUNGevity Launches Breathe Easier: An Emergency Response Fund for COVID-19

WASHINGTON, March 31, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- LUNGevity Foundation, the nation's premier lung cancer-focused nonprofit organization, announced today that it is launching Breathe Easier: An Emergency Response Fund to help financially support life challenges for lung cancer patients and their families during the time of the COVID-19 public health emergency.

Starting today, LUNGevity's Breathe Easier fund will offer financial assistance to eligible lung cancer patients and their families to satisfy their critical basic needs of food, transportation, and general household bills. Support in the amount of $500 will be provided to eligible patients and their families.

Patients can call LUNGevity's Lung Cancer HELPLine (844-360-5864), a free phone service in partnership with CancerCare, to learn more and apply for support from the Breathe Easier Fund. To qualify, applicants must meet the following criteria:

• Patients must be in active treatment, or actively pursuing treatment, for lung cancer.
• The patient's household income does not exceed 300% of the Federal Poverty Level (FPL); however, special consideration will be given to those who are recently unemployed or furloughed as a result of COVID-19.
• Patient must be a US resident and be receiving care for lung cancer in the US.

"We are extremely honored to be able to offer this financial assistance to our lung cancer community during these challenging times," said Andrea Ferris, President and CEO of LUNGevity Foundation. "LUNGevity is committed to ensuring all people living with lung cancer have access to the care they need when they need it. We're especially thankful for the partners who have helped us make this funding possible."

"LUNGevity is committed to monitor and evaluate our capacity to fulfill unmet needs of vulnerable lung cancer patients in the US working with our caring and generous partners and donors during this health crisis in the US," said Jeanne Regnante, Chief Health Equity and Diversity Officer of LUNGevity. "Our learning from launching this program will help inform future initiatives to ensure all lung cancer patients receive optimal care."

In addition to the Emergency Fund, LUNGevity's free support services are available to help people with lung cancer and their families navigate this challenging time. These services include LUNGevity's HELPLine; LUNGevity LifeLine, a phone-buddy program; LUNGevity's Lung Cancer Support Community, the largest lung cancer online support network; peer-to-peer mentoring; and LUNGevity's private Facebook Groups specific to lung cancer patients.

LUNGevity has also developed resources specifically for people affected by lung cancer during the time of COVID-19. A dedicated COVID-19 section of our website is continually being updated to include Q&As with experts, including members of our esteemed Scientific Advisory Board (SAB), answering questions posed by our community, video interviews with members of the SAB and other medical experts, and a COVID-19 glossary. All updates and information as well as expert videos are available on the website in Spanish, and materials are currently being created in Mandarin as well.

About the Lung Cancer HELPLine

Launched in partnership with CancerCare, the LUNGevity Lung Cancer HELPLine is a free phone service staffed by a team of professional oncology social workers who are available to address the emotional, practical, and information needs of people diagnosed with lung cancer, their families, and caregivers.

Those seeking assistance can call the toll-free HELPLine at 844-360-5864 from 9:00 am-5:00 pm ET, Monday through Friday to:

• Receive immediate access to reliable educational resources and programs
• Get personalized information about lung cancer and treatment options
• Learn effective ways to cope with cancer including managing emotions such as depression, anxiety, or sadness
• Improve communication with their health care team and loved ones
• Get referrals to financial assistance resources for needs including pain medication, homecare, childcare, medical supplies, transportation for treatment, and copayment assistance related to chemotherapy and targeted treatment therapies. (Provided to those who meet CancerCare's eligibility guidelines; subject to funding availability.)

About LUNGevity Foundation

LUNGevity is the nation's leading lung cancer organization investing in lifesaving, translational research and providing support services and education for patients and caregivers. LUNGevity's goals are three-fold: (1) accelerate research to patients, (2) empower patients to be active participants in their treatment decisions, and (3) remove barriers that patients face in accessing the right treatments.

LUNGevity Foundation is firmly committed to making an immediate impact on increasing quality of life and survivorship of people with lung cancer by accelerating research into early detection and more effective treatments, as well as by providing community, support, and education for all those affected by the disease. LUNGevity's comprehensive resources include a medically vetted website, a toll-free HELPLine in partnership with CancerCare®, a unique Lung Cancer Navigator app, peer-to-peer mentoring for patients and caregivers (LUNGevity LifeLine), and survivorship conferences. LUNGevity also helps patients find and navigate clinical trials through our Clinical Trial Finder tool, a Clinical Trial Ambassador program, and participation with EmergingMed.

Our vision is a world where no one dies of lung cancer. For more information about LUNGevity Foundation, a four-star Charity Navigator organization, please visit www.LUNGevity.org.

About CancerCare® 

Founded in 1944, CancerCare is the leading national organization providing free, professional support services and information to help people manage the emotional, practical, and financial challenges of cancer. Our comprehensive services include counseling and support groups over the phone, online, and in-person, educational workshops, publications, and financial and co-payment assistance. All CancerCare services are provided by master's-prepared oncology social workers and world-leading cancer experts.

To learn more, visit www.cancercare.org or call 800-813-HOPE (4673).

About Lung Cancer in the US

• About 1 in 16 Americans will be diagnosed with lung cancer in their lifetime
• More than 228,000 people in the US will be diagnosed with lung cancer this year
• About 60%-65% of all new lung cancer diagnoses are among people who have never smoked or are former smokers
• Lung cancer takes more lives than the next three leading cancers (colorectal, breast, and prostate) combined
• Only 19% of all people diagnosed with lung cancer will survive 5 years or more, BUT if it's caught before it spreads, the chance of 5-year survival improves dramatically

SOURCE LUNGevity Foundation