Today we’d like to introduce you to Carla Tardif.
Carla, let’s start with your story. We’d love to hear how you got started and how the journey has been so far.
I searched for Family Reach as a result of a promise I made to a dear friend who was losing his battle with brain cancer. My friend, Pat Kelly, watched families who had a child with cancer struggle with the financial burdens. He’d describe watching families sink in quicksand as they fought to stay together and help a loved one battle cancer. His last words to me before he passed was to promise him I’d ‘fix this problem’. I didn’t know where to begin. Two years later, I discovered Family Reach and I found my calling.
Family Reach was founded by two families who lost their children to cancer and witnessed the same harsh reality as Pat. Starting Family Reach was a labor of love for them and a way to keep the memory of their children alive. As their first employee, I started as a part-time consultant who needed to learn the mission and understand the need for families. Once I had a clear vision for Family Reach, I became the Executive Director and six years later became the CEO.
We’re always bombarded by how great it is to pursue your passion, etc – but we’ve spoken with enough people to know that it’s not always easy. Overall, would you say things have been easy for you?
There have been many challenges throughout the years, with the biggest challenge being awareness around the financial struggles families deal with when receiving a cancer diagnosis.
I had to raise awareness about the harsh reality of cancer I see every day,–family members missing work, many having to leave their jobs to care for a loved one with cancer, resulting in them losing their homes and their transportation to treatment as well as not being able to put food on the table.
Unfortunately, there’s so much shame associated with these issues that families don’t ask for help and end up buried in debt and stress, and their financial issues become catastrophic.
My obstacles have been getting people to understand that this issue affects a majority of cancer patients and that it has an effect on their survival. People can’t help us solve a problem that they don’t know exists.
So, as you know, we’re impressed with Family Reach – tell our readers more, for example what you’re most proud of as a company and what sets you apart from others.
For the past 22 years, Family Reach has been a financial lifeline for families with cancer.
We step in with emotional and financial support for families who are at critical breaking points, at risk of losing their homes, are without heat or electricity and can’t put food on the table.
Family Reach has many differentiators from other non-profits. Our ability to scale our mission nationwide by working closely with oncology social workers in the hospital setting who are on the front lines with patients.
Our efficacy and efficiency of how we directly and immediately deliver financial assistance to patients in need. Our research and data collection around cancer-related financial toxicity (CRFT) to help expose the breadth and depth of this issue and raise much-needed awareness so we can work together to solve the problem.
What I’m most proud of is the growth of Family Reach over the past 10 years and that our approach and research has made us the leading experts on CRFT.
So, what’s next? Any big plans?
Family Reach has spent the past year and a half designing early intervention programs to help cancer patients and their families drastically decrease their chances of hitting a debilitating financial crisis because of a diagnosis. Our early intervention programs are being piloted, tested and studied as we speak and will soon become a recognized resource for cancer patients at the time of diagnosis.
With proper financial education, awareness, navigation, planning and grants, families will be armed with the tools they need to tackle the issue early before it has an effect on their ability to access or adhere to cancer treatments.
One day, cancer patients will not only be given a medical care team, but they will also be given a financial care team because, at the end of the day, they go hand in hand.
Contact Info:
- Address: 142 Berkely Street, 4th Floor
- Website: www.familyreach.org
- Phone: 857-233-2764
- Email: info@familyreach.org
- Instagram: @familyreach
- Facebook: www.facebook.com/familyreach
- Twitter: @familyreach
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