“Knowing I have the transportation cushion for my trips to Dana Farber gives me immeasurable courage. I feel the support of those who make these trips possible for me. Not worrying about having sufficient funds to visit the Dana Farber oncology team ensures that I am faithful to their lifesaving regimen. Sitting in the Dana Farber Breast Oncology waiting room, named in honor of our fellow Nantucketer, Dr. David Nathan, makes me proud of him, his prodigious accomplishments, and our island and islanders. We look after each other. Thank you, Marla Ceely Lamb Fund, for prolonging my life and giving me hope.”
“The Marla Ceely Lamb Fund has always held a special place in my heart, as she was a friend. I watched her struggle to go to Hyannis for treatment, as there was no discount or fund when she was ill. Happy to contribute to her fund, I never thought I would be a hands-on user. Finding out I had cancer, and that the treatment was in Boston, I was faced with a financial dilemma. The Marla Ceely Lamb Fund gave us peace of mind, as our medical costs were mounting. Ginnie and all of the Palliative and Supportive Care staff are accommodating, sympathetic, and encouraging as I asked for assistance. I will be forever grateful for all the generosity and caring.”“The Marla Ceely Lamb Fund has been a bright light in the dark cancer tunnel I involuntarily entered 5 years ago. It makes my travel to Boston for annual check-ups easy and worry free. Accessing the fund is very discreet, and doesn’t require a lot of paperwork. It takes the financial burden off your shoulders, so that you can focus on your health instead. Thank you!”“I was diagnosed seven years ago with CML, Chronic Myelogenous Leukemia, and through the assistance and support of the Marla Lamb Fund, you have made my experience with cancer much more manageable, as words can’t express my thanks. I continue taking chemo daily and there is currently not a cure, but I’m hoping that one day there will be a cure and I’m truly grateful for everyone’s assistance”.“I recently started participating in the Lamb Fund as I need to travel to Boston frequently for my doctors appointments.The cancer has caused me to cut back on my work, thus my income has dropped. Through the Lamb Fund I receive financial assistance that helps me with my travel arrangements. I am very grateful for it!!”“People tend to forget that most folks also need to bring along a spouse/ partner/friend for support. That doubles the cost of travel. Thank you for all you do to help us.”“The Marla Lamb Fund was just a ‘concept’ for a long time. But when my diagnosis became a reality, it was so comforting to walk into the office, make a request, and have it honored with a smile.”“The fund allows cancer patients to concentrate on getting to their treatments/appointments without having to worry about the associated travel expenses…one less worry when your mind is already overloaded. Ginnie convinced me to take advantage of the funds even though I said I didn’t need it. I feared appearing ‘needy’. It was part of my cancer bravado — which was truly all a façade. She suggested I donate back to MCL when I felt better. That worked for me — made me not feel like I was taking from someone who needed it more than me. And those travel costs added up so fast it was astonishing. Aside from all the chemo trips to Boston, there were multiple trips for PET scans, MD appointments, staging appointments, pre-op testing and surgery.”“The Marla Lamb travel fund saved my life. Weekly sometimes bi-weekly trips to MGH would have been put on credit cards because I wasn’t working while I was healing from surgery and then heading over to Hyannis for radiation. You don’t realize how draining it can be on your finances even if you have medical insurance. There are all the extra expenses and the travel is monumental when you live 30 miles out at sea.”“I had been aware of the fund for years. I had contributed to some of the fundraisers, but I didn’t know too much about it. I now know that so many people, too many, have to make the personal, professional, and financial arrangements necessary to deal with cancer, a situation exacerbated from living on an island. It wasn’t until I was in a position to be on the receiving end of this fund that I appreciated the breadth and depth of this organization. The support is more than financial. The fund was a help with the added financial burden associated with treatments, but was also a window into the generous nature of our community. Cancer touches so many in our community and the community responds.”“Having any cancer is emotionally stressful and expensive. The Fund helps defray the cost of treatments and the cheerful administration helps reduce the corresponding stress.”