Gateway to Hope Celebrates Treatment of 118 Breast Cancer Survivors through Donated Medical Care

April 27, 2010 - PRLog -- St. Louis, MO  – The only thing more frightening than being diagnosed with breast cancer is not being able to pay for treatment. That is the reality for thousands of individuals in Missouri, who are underinsured or uninsured. Unable to pay for breast cancer treatment and ineligible for government assistance, many individuals are left with no choice but to go untreated and face mortality.  

Gateway to Hope, a nonprofit organization founded in 2005 by Dr. David A. Caplin and Dr. Marlys E. Schuh, maintains the core belief that every person diagnosed with breast cancer should be entitled to care regardless of their financial situation. The organization just celebrated successfully treating its 118th patient with comprehensive breast cancer care and assisted hundreds more in accessing necessary care. Gateway to Hope continues to see its vital and growing role throughout Missouri. Still, there is deep concern that many recently diagnosed individuals are not aware of Gateway to Hope’s services and are slipping through the cracks of the healthcare system.

“From our experience at Gateway to Hope, we know that many patients who just received what may be the most devastating news of their life – a confirmed breast cancer – diagnosis feel they have absolutely no where to turn because they earn too much to receive government assistance yet are uninsured or underinsured,” said Cindy Frank, executive director of Gateway to Hope. “In order to save the lives of more patients who qualify, the community needs to be aware that Gateway to Hope is here to help.”

Gateway to Hope, along with its team of doctors, nurses, and professional partners, provide comprehensive medical and surgical care for individuals diagnosed with breast cancer who lack financial resources to pay for treatment. The organization’s patients, who are deemed ineligible for Medicaid and assistance through state and federal programs, have yearly incomes of 200% to 350% of the federal poverty level. For example, an individual living in a four-person household earning between $44,100 to $77,175 or an individual of a one-person household earning between $21,660 to $37,905 is eligible for the Gateway to Hope program.

Like most non-profit organizations Gateway to Hope relies on donations. Cindy Frank and the staff at Gateway to Hope, comprised heavily of veteran nurses, spend each day year-round caring for its patients while reaching out to physicians, hospitals, medical suppliers and specialists, asking them to donate their time, skill, services and supplies. Gateway to Hope establishes strong relationships with these care providers, such as oncologists, breast cancer surgeons and reconstructive plastic surgeons, whose donated services save the lives of Gateway to Hope patients. Each patient is treated on an ongoing basis at the office, hospital and/or care facility of the professional partners. Gateway to Hope’s program nurse managers arrange comprehensive treatment for each patient, which includes additional resources such as transportation, medications, bras, wigs and meals. It’s generosity at its best and treatment of the highest quality.

The Gateway to Hope program has proven to be successful in turning despair into hope and a life-threatening disease into survival, but there are still too many individuals who are not aware of the organization. Gateway to Hope is urging the community to tune in and spread the word about its services.

“Creating Gateway to Hope and providing care for women in desperate need of our help has been a labor of love for all of us,” said Dr. David A. Caplin, co-founder of Gateway to Hope. “Our goal is, simply put, to save as many lives as we can. We never anticipated the magnitude of the effect our program would have on the lives of our patients, their families and their friends nor did we ever imagine the impact these patients would have on all of us who are privileged to provide care for them.”

“One just assumes that when some major catastrophe happens and you’ve been paying for insurance forever, you’ll be covered.  But that’s not the case... not my case,” remembers Christine W., a breast cancer survivor and Gateway to Hope patient. “Gateway to Hope has helped me with my chemotherapy and surgery. They even helped me get a wig. I really don’t know where I would be without Gateway to Hope and if I wasn’t able to fight the breast cancer.  I might not have seen my son graduate from high school, so it’s been a blessing.”

Gateway to Hope’s success can be attributed to the commitment, care and dedication of the founders, staff and professional partner network as well as the strong will of its patients to become survivors. Still, the challenge continues to raise funds, enhance and expand the Gateway to Hope program by treating a greater number of patients, and ultimately helping providers in other cities and states replicate this enormously successful program.  

To refer a patient, become a partner provider, donate services and/or supplies or to volunteer time and resources, please contact Gateway to Hope at 314-569-1113 or visit www.gthstl.org.

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About Gateway to Hope:
Founded in 2005 by Dr. David A. Caplin and Dr. Marlys E. Schuh, Gateway to Hope is a registered 501(c)(3) organization that arranges medical and surgical care at no cost for individuals who have been diagnosed with breast cancer but cannot afford treatment. The organization recruits and secures doctors, hospitals and professional specialists to donate their time, care and services. There is no cost to patients and families served by Gateway to Hope. For more information on Gateway to Hope, please visit www.gthstl.org.