I was at the lowest point in my life. I had received my Stage 3B Ovarian Cancer diagnosis, had a complete hysterectomy, and was lying in my hospital bed when I said to myself—I’m not going to make it.

I was so depleted of life because of cancer. This was my second diagnosis, my first was Breast Cancer 10 years before. I knew then, in 2005, that I wanted to do something to help my new community. I didn’t know what and quickly lost sight of that goal when the whirlwind of treating cancer started, completely upending my life.

It took years for me to find a “new normal” but eventually did, and just as I was moving into an exciting new stage in my life—marriage and starting a family!— when I was given that Stage 3B Ovarian Cancer diagnosis in 2014.

When I was lying in that hospital bed saying to myself—I’m not going to make it—I let cancer rob me of my dreams, I let despair and angst come into my life. Then I said the words out loud, “I’m not going to make it out of here,” solidifying the fact even more. My husband said nothing, he simply looked into my eyes to see the woman he loved letting herself go. He picked me up out of bed, sat me in a wheelchair and took me to the hospital’s atrium. The fresh air, sunlight, and lush beauty breathed life back into me.

Years later, toward the end of 2020, the calling to help others came back. Thinking about how low I had been, about how much I needed someone to help me out of that dark time, I knew that others felt the same way and that I had to be a helping hand. But how? The cancer support community is enormous, there are nonprofits that support research to wigs, car rides to family vacations. The more I thought about what my cancer experiences lacked the more I realized there was one huge gap that left me with a burden no one should have after fighting for their life—debt.

Back in 2005, due to my Breast Cancer treatment plan, I had to take short-term disability which meant a 40% cut in my take home pay and even with insurance, additional debt from out-of-pocket medical expenses for fertility treatments, deductibles, and surgeries forced me to early terminate the lease on my apartment and sell my car.

With my Ovarian Cancer diagnosis, I managed treatments and surgeries using my vacation and sick time allowances while continuing to work. I couldn’t afford to take a leave of absence from work because I had bills to pay—school loans, rent, car payments and insurance premiums, credit cards, cell phone bills, medical deductibles, and groceries. None of those bills take a leave of absence when you receive a cancer diagnosis.

I realized that, with as many resources as there were for the cancer community, I personally never heard of one that helped people pay bills. There was financial aid for medical bills but none that would help people pay their everyday expenses.

Through research I found this was an issue in the cancer community, which in 2013 Duke University coined as “Financial Toxicity,” a term used to describe problems a patient has related to the cost of medical care. Not having health insurance or having a lot of costs for medical care not covered by health insurance can cause financial problems and may lead to debt and bankruptcy. Financial toxicity can also affect a patient’s quality of life and access to medical care. For example, a patient may not take a prescription medicine or may avoid going to the doctor to save money. Cancer patients are more likely to have financial toxicity than people without cancer. Also called economic burden, economic hardship, financial burden, financial distress, financial hardship, and financial stress. (NIH, National Cancer Institute)

This set my course of action to start a nonprofit that helped people affected by cancer pay bills, and so in February 2021, The Atrium Foundation, was founded and helped its first beneficiary in the same month, allowing me to see my dream of helping others come to life!

To break down more of what “helping people affected by cancer pay bills” means—

Paying bills means just that. We pay in full or partially medical, living expenses such as mortgage, rent, and utilities, and mental health and wellness bills, such as therapy or fertility preservation expenses.

People, we say people because we not only provide support to cancer patients but also survivors and caregivers. We help people who are in active treatment, survivors who are 6 months or less out of treatment, and caregivers who are caring for cancer patients.

As of June 2023, The Atrium Foundation has helped 37 cancer patients, survivors, and caregivers, providing over $36,000 in financial support!

According to the summary “Financial Toxicity (Financial Distress) and Cancer Treatment (PDQ®)–Patient Version” written by the NIH, National Cancer Institute:

  • Working people who are getting cancer treatment missed about 22 more workdays a year than those who did not have any cancer treatment.
  • Cancer survivors report spending more than 20% of their annual income on medical care.
  • Cancer survivors report spending all or most of their savings due to a diagnosis.
  • Patients reported skipping doses or taking less medicine than prescribed, to make their prescription last longer and save money.
  • Patients who have financial toxicity reported having a lower quality of life, more symptoms, and more pain.

The Atrium Foundation strives to be a beacon of hope to people affected by cancer; we give that hope by paying their bills.

The hope we provide is that of, one more day, one more month, one more dollar they didn’t have before. It gives them breathing room and relieves stress allowing them to have more time to focus on their health and family.

No one should have to fight to pay their bills while fighting for their life, The Atrium Foundation will be a helping hand for people affected by cancer so they can thrive through their journey of survivorship!

To learn more about The Atrium Foundation visit their website: atriumfoundation.org or contact Dorothy directly at dorothy.paredes@theatriumfoundation.org. See ad this page.

 Dorothy Paredes, a resident of Jacksonville since August 2021, is a 3-time cancer survivor, founder of The Atrium Foundation, and self-published. Dorothy graduated from St. Edward’s University with a Bachelor of Science in Business & Management and works professionally as a Technology Program Manager. She is an advocate for breast and ovarian cancer awareness, where as a volunteer for organizations such as The KK125 Foundation, The Breast Cancer Resource Center, and The Susan G. Komen Foundation, has given public testimony, fund-raised and volunteered to support their missions. She is open for speaking engagements or attending support group sessions.