PHILADELPHIA (KYW Newsradio) — Candice Ancrum is a survivor and a fighter. Last year, after persistent migraines sent her to the hospital, doctors discovered a brain tumor.
She had emergency surgery and returned to her Mount Airy row home to recover, but challenges persisted there, too.
“When it rains, we have buckets in the kitchen. There’s problems with the roof. We have mold in the basement,” she said, “and I’m not supposed to be around mold.”
Like many Americans, Ancrum has had to juggle her health with financial hardships. She couldn’t afford to move. That’s where the Legacy of Hope comes in. The organization raises money to move needy families into liveable homes with comfortable arrangements.
“We really want to come together as a community and help give you that break,” said founder Michael Rowe. “So you can start feeling better, so you can focus on recovery, you and your family. … Any one of us is one diagnosis away from being in the same exact spot as you.”
Rowe founded Legacy of Hope nearly six years ago. At the time, he worked as an EMT in Jefferson’s emergency room.
“I was taking care of a young cancer patient with metastatic breast cancer,” he recalled. “Same situation — family couldn’t afford basic necessities. And before she passed, I was talking to her brother and he was beside himself crying. He said we can’t even get the most basic necessities. We can’t even afford at-home oxygen for my sister.
Related
“I didn’t know what I was going to do at the time. But I knew I had to do something.”
Legacy of Hope is now Rowe’s full-time job. The organization partners with major health systems in the region — including Temple, Jefferson and Penn — to get referrals for patients in need.
Ancrum is one of the thousands of cancer patients that Legacy of Hope serves, providing groceries and emergency services and bridging the gaps however it can.
It is getting ready for its signature fundraiser, PHL24, a 24-hour stair-climbing endurance event at the Art Museum steps.
Related
Rowe hopes to raise $175,000 to purchase and renovate a home to provide temporary housing for cancer patients and families in need.
“We have 30 sponsored athletes that have committed to actually going up and down the steps for a full 24 hours,” he said. “We’ll have a lot of people that come out there that go out just for a few minutes, or maybe an hour or so.
“You can sponsor one of their pages or you can actually just donate to the campaign. We’re also looking for businesses to sponsor each one of these athletes.”
PHL24 takes place on Sept. 9 and 10.