Mission

The mission of Michael's Way is to help the families of children with cancer to cope with the extraordinary expenses that come about as a direct result of the child's illness. Chris McElwee, the founder of Michael's Way, lost a brother to leukemia and was made aware of the unique problems that accompany cancer. When a child is diagnosed with cancer the intensive treatment regimen frequently requires a parent's fulltime attention. In many cases, a parent finds it impossible to continue working while they care for their sick child. This loss of income combined with the increased costs associated with cancer treatment leads to severe financial problems for many families. While there are numerous organizations that assist people with medical expenses, there are very few that can be of help with other necessary expenses. Michael's Way was founded to fill this need. Families of children in treatment are eligible to apply for funds to pay for needed expenditures such as rent, mortgage, utility bills, childcare, and transportation to and from the hospital, etc. Applications are made through the child's social worker who assesses need and priority.