A cancer diagnosis changes nearly every part of a person’s life. Suddenly, calendars are filled with appointments, treatments and follow-up visits. Families must balance work, household responsibilities and caregiving while trying to focus on what matters most -- helping their loved one get well.
For many local patients, receiving treatment also means traveling outside their hometown several times each week. Every trip brings additional expenses: gasoline, meals on the road, parking and sometimes an overnight stay. A spouse or family member may also miss work to provide transportation and support.
These costs can add up quickly.
The Dr. Dennis Scranton Memorial Cancer Fund was created to help ease that burden for people in our communities.
Dr. Scranton died in an automobile accident near Fairfield in 2003. Before his death, he had often spoke about the need for a program that could help cancer patients afford treatment-related costs, including the expense of traveling to receive care. Following his passing, his widow, Tracy Scranton, helped turn that concern into a lasting legacy of compassion.
Established in 2004, the fund assists local residents who are receiving active cancer treatment -- including surgery, radiation or chemotherapy -- at a recognized treatment center. Qualified recipients may receive up to $500 during a calendar year to help with expenses related to travel and seeking treatment.
That assistance can mean a tank of gas for the next appointment, meals during a long day at a treatment center or help with another necessary travel expense. Most importantly, it lets patients and their families know their community is standing beside them.
In the past year, $18,000 was distributed to help cancer patients with travel and other treatment-related costs. Since its creation, it has continued to help local families during some of the most difficult days of their lives.
Today, however, the fund is nearly depleted.
Applications for assistance continue to arrive because cancer has not stopped affecting our friends, neighbors and families. The need remains, but the Dr. Dennis Scranton Memorial Cancer Fund depends entirely on donations from the public. Without renewed community support, it may not be able to assist everyone who turns to it for help.
Every donation matters. A gift does not have to be large to make a meaningful difference. When combined with the generosity of others, $10, $25 or $50 can help put fuel in a patient’s vehicle and get that person one step closer to the care they need.
The fund is administered and overseen by the WORKS Board at Wayne-White Electric, which also administers the cooperative’s Operation Round-up Kare and Share program. Donations to the cancer fund are used to support local patients who meet the program’s eligibility requirements.
Dr. Scranton recognized a need in our communities more than two decades ago. Through this fund, his compassion continues to reach people facing cancer today. With the community’s help, that legacy -- and this important source of assistance -- can continue.
Donations may be mailed to:
Dennis Scranton Memorial Cancer Fund
PO Box 700
Fairfield, IL 62837
Donations may also be dropped off at the Wayne-White Electric office in Fairfield.
For questions about donating or applying for assistance, you can call our office at (618) 842-2196. Applications to apply for funding are also available on our website at www.waynewhitecoop.com
Cancer treatment is difficult enough. Together, we can help ensure that the cost of getting there does not become one more burden local families must carry alone.