North Texas Chapter
www.lls.org/ntx
Patient Support Programs
The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society's North Texas Chapter offers a wide range of free educational and support programs for patients, their families, caregivers and healthcare professionals.
For more information about any of the following programs, call us at:
Dallas Office: 972-996-5900 or 1-800-800-6702
Patti Robinson Kaufmann First Connection Program
Patti Robinson Kaufmann First Connection Program is a free service of The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society (LLS) that enables patients and their loved ones to connect with a trained peer volunteer who has gone through a similar experience. The program makes an average of 6,000 first connections each year.
For nearly 10 years, Patti's commitment as a volunteer inspired others to get involved, raised awareness of blood cancers and provided much-needed support for research, patient services and advocacy. Patti was diagnosed with lymphoma in 1997, before LLS launched First Connection. Now that her name has been given to the program, the compassion and comfort Patti extended to others touched by blood cancer continues.
Connecting patients and families to resources:
LLS First Connection peer volunteers are in a unique position to provide support and community resource information to others facing a similar cancer diagnosis. Patients and their family members are matched with peer volunteers. The match is based on diagnosis, age, gender and other factors that might create a mutual understanding and ease of communication between participants and volunteers.
Special understanding from a person who has walked in your shoes:
If you are a blood cancer patient or family member of a patient and wish to speak with someone who has been treated for a similar diagnosis, you can request a First Connection match by contacting the North Texas Chapter at (972) 996-5900. Your peer volunteer will then arrange for one or two phone calls or meetings with you at a mutually convenient time and place. The information shared between a trained peer volunteer and a patient or family member is strictly confidential.
Support and recognition for LLS volunteers:
Peer volunteers are needed in North Texas to carry on the important work of First Connection. To become a peer volunteer you need to:
- Be a blood cancer survivor (or family member of a blood cancer survivor) with an interest in, and a commitment to, helping others
- Be screened by the North Texas Chapter for the program
- Participate in all First Connection training sessions provided by the North Texas Chapter
- Make a one-year commitment to the program and meet periodically to receive continuing education and training at the North Texas Chapter
Click HERE, to download an application to become a First Connection volunteer. Complete the application and mail, fax or email the application to the North Texas Chapter.
Family Support Groups
Open communication is critical for coping with the feelings that arise during illness. Family Support Groups feature sessions led by local healthcare professionals where you can share your concerns, fears, problems and experiences in a comfortable and caring setting. For more information, call us at: 972-996-5900 or 1-800-800-6702
Online Support Groups
Our online support groups offer weekly sessions where you can share and receive support from the comfort of your home. Each session is an hour and a half and moderated by a trained professional. All sessions are password protected and provided in partnership with the Cancer Support Community. For more information, see Online Support Groups.
Online Chats
Our weekly two-hour online chats provide a friendly forum to share experiences and offer support for people living with non-Hodgkin lymphoma or chronic myeloid leukemia and for young adults (aged 18-39) living with blood cancer. Each chat is moderated by an oncology social worker. For more information, see Online Chats.
The Trish Greene Back to School Program for Children with Cancer
Returning to school after cancer treatment can be a tough adjustment for young survivors. The Trish Greene Back to School Program for Children with Cancer helps children and youth cope with life after treatment and teaches parents, classmates, teachers and healthcare professionals how to deal with the issues surrounding childhood cancer. Program videos and materials are available for students from preschool to high school. For more information, call us at: 972-996-5900 or 1-800-800-6702
Patient Financial Aid Program
Lymphoma Society (LLS) provides a limited amount of financial assistance to help patients with significant financial need and who are under a doctor's care for a confirmed blood cancer diagnosis. This program is supported entirely by public contributions and patient aid funds are subject to availability.
Please contact LLS to find out if you are eligible for the LLS Co-Pay Assistance Program before applying for patient financial aid. For eligible patients, the Co-Pay Assistance Program may offer a larger amount of financial support for select diseases toward the cost of insurance co-payments and/or insurance premium costs for prescription drugs. Please visit the
Co-Pay Assistance for more information or to apply.The Patient Financial Aid Program provides $100 a year to help patients offset expenses. Receipts for expenses are not required. To apply, you must be a US resident or US military personnel stationed abroad and in active treatment or ongoing medical follow-up care for a blood cancer. Your prescribing healthcare provider must complete and sign the bottom portion of the application form.
The program begins each July 1st and ends on the following June 30th. You must reapply every year after July 1st in order to receive assistance. For more information about the Patient Financial Aid program, contact Jane Beeson, Patient Services Coordinator, at 972-996-5906.
Due to depletion of funds, applications from May 1, 2013 through June 30, 2013 are no longer being accepted. The program will resume as of July 1, 2013. Please check this page after July 1, 2013 for more information about the program, including an application.
Patients who participate in the Patient Financial Aid program may also be eligible for the LLS Co-Pay Assistance Program.
For more information, call us at: 972-996-5900 or 1-800-800-6702Co-Pay Assistance Program
Dealing with cancer is hard enough without having to worry about the financial burden. The Co-Pay Assistance Program helps you pay your insurance premiums and meet co-pay obligations. We'll also help you find additional sources of financial help. For more information, see Co-Pay Assistance.
Honored Hero Program
Our honored heroes provide inspiration and support for the LLS fundraising programs and are symbols of strength for others dealing with challenges in their lives. An honored hero is anyone who is being treated for, or is a survivor of, leukemia, lymphoma or myeloma.
You can participate on several levels, including sharing your story, creating artwork, writing letters or attending fundraising events. For more information, call us at:
Dallas Office: 972-996-5900 or 1-800-800-6702
