Jill and Brian's story

Jill and Brian have a five year-old son, Joshua, and have been running a successful small business for over 10 years. When they received the devastating news that Joshua was diagnosed with leukaemia, the impact on their lives, and their business, was immediate.

During Joshua’s treatment, both parents have tried to be at the hospital bedside as much as possible. The hospital is 95 kilometres from their hometown so inevitably, their business is starting to suffer. The family can’t afford to employ a manager so they have had to close their business while they are away from home. As Jill and Brian need to spend so much time at the hospital caring for Joshua, they may have to sell the business, bringing more financial hardship.

The Cancer Council NSW released figures from their Cost of Cancer Report, prepared by Access Economics. According to the report, the financial cost for a family with a child diagnosed with cancer is around $50,000 in ‘out-of-pocket’ costs such as increased transport and child care. After the Government, organisations like Redkite are the next biggest financial supporter of households impacted by childhood cancer, with the main cost component of cancer being productivity and carer costs. During cancer treatment there is often a significant decrease in parental earnings combined with a significant increase in care-related expenses such as medication and hospital parking fees.

This is where Redkite’s Financial Assistance program provides valuable and timely assistance.

Coordinator of Redkite’s Financial Assistance Program Sharnelle Magee explains: “Nothing can prepare families for the emotional and financial implications a diagnosis of cancer delivers. Most face a loss of income which puts the family in a very vulnerable financial position. Families lose their businesses, parents use up all of their leave entitlements and then have to resign from their jobs so they can care and spend time with their sick child. It’s a very complex and stressful situation.”

“In Jill and Brian’s case, we have provided financial assistance to help them pay for some utilities bills, a mortgage payment and petrol vouchers as they have to travel a long distance to the hospital for Joshua’s treatment. This assistance will at least alleviate some of the stress so they can focus on emotionally supporting their child through this difficult time.”

The families who Redkite assists never expected to experience such immediate financial hardship. Sharnelle says: “In almost every request for financial assistance, at least one parent has had to give up work for some period of time. For the vast majority of the two-parent families we assist, both parents, at some point, have needed to take time away from work. The pressure on single parents can be overwhelming.”

Where possible, some parents work remotely, often by their child’s hospital bedside. One parent, Tom, said: “As an accountant, I was able to continue working from the hospital but I didn’t realise how disruptive the treatment would be. It was difficult to complete my work so I reduced my hours and as a result, my income. My wife and I also have three other children to look after so it wasn’t easy but the financial assistance we have received from Redkite has helped with this burden.”

As a sick child needs parent support every step of the way, the financial impact for families is uncertain and can also be long-term. Redkite is there every step of the way.


    All personal details have been changed for privacy reasons.