OUR
mission
Bahamas Hope Challenge, and its predecessor Ride for Hope Bahamas, exist to build hope and resources for Bahamians who are fighting cancer, to expand access to early diagnostic imaging and consultation, and to reframe treatment financial assistance nationally. At the heart of what we do is our desire to save lives and increase survivorship. Our mission is critical - and your help is needed!
“The joy of giving makes a person expand his or her life to a great extent. The best part is it gives a sense of satisfaction after doing your bit for people in your environment. The mere act of giving fills a person’s life with joy and his own happiness multiplies.”
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Where
the money goes
Current
programmes
Bahamas Hope Challenge created the Cancer treatment Medical Assistance Fund, the first of its kind in the country, which is administered by the Cancer Society. The Fund supports cancer patients with their treatment costs through financial grants and is currently a $100,000 per year commitment by Bahamas Hope Challenge. For more information please contact the Cancer Society.
The Family Islands Mammogram Screening Program (FIMS) brings women to New Providence for a free mammogram screening. The day trip includes a lecture on breast cancer risks to Bahamian women, a tour of the Cancer Caring Center, a light lunch, and the mammogram screening. Early screening is a proven method in early diagnosis which leads to dramatically higher survival rates after treatment. To date over 1,800 women from Eleuthera, Andros, Exuma, Cat Island and San Salvador have participated in the program. Plans are underway to expand the program nationally. FIMS also funds follow up costs for women in need.
Located in the heart of New Providence, in close proximity to the nation’s medical hub, the Cancer Caring Center provides a home-like environment with professional care to cancer patients from the Family Islands who have come to New Providence for their treatment. The extraordinary facility, available to ordinary citizens, is described as “a place where pain management is understood and medical attention provided in a setting of beauty, tranquility and personal freedom, a place where family members can visit and linger.” Sadly in high demand, the Center usually maintains a waiting list. It is a special place, worth visiting, and certainly worth supporting! A gift from the Bahamas Hope Challenge to the Cancer Society of The Bahamas was used to pay off the Cancer Society’s mortgage incurred during the construction of the highly-praised Cancer Caring Center. Debt relief enabled the Cancer Society to re-focus on its own highly worthwhile outreach programmes.
Bahamas Hope Challenge funded the completion of the Cancer Society’s headquarters and clinic in Palmetto Point, Eleuthera. From this facility the Cancer Society reaches out to all communities on Eleuthera, Spanish Wells, and Harbour Island, holding clinics and informational sessions on cancer, at risk women, early detection opportunities, and much more.
Past
programmes
The Bahamas Hope Challenge contributed $130,000 to complete the purchase of a new digital mammography machine at Princess Margaret Hospital. This state of the art piece of equipment enables more and more people to receive early screening and better imaging to aid detection and diagnosis. National Education Outreach In 2011 Bahamas Hope Challenge made a two year commitment to fund a new
In 2011 Bahamas Hope Challenge made a two year commitment to fund a new National Education Outreach Programme run by the Cancer Society. Health care professionals visited Family Islands to raise awareness of cancer risks and early detection opportunities and gave out information on how to prevent the disease. The programme was extended for two more years for a total of 4 years, ending in 2014.
Bahamas Hope Challenge provided substantial start up support to the Bahamas Breast Cancer Initiative (BBCI) – which researched the mutations of the BRCA1 gene unique to The Bahamas. RFH’s grant to BBCI and its partners at the University of Miami Cancer Center have helped fund this critical scientific work. Hopefully this research will be the first step in overcoming the terrible legacy of aggressive and deadly breast cancer, a leading cause of death in Bahamian women.
Emory University students worked to develop a culturally appropriate educational outreach program informed by community-based participatory research. The goal was to improve women’s understanding and awareness of resources related to genetic testing, risk detection, early detection, and treatment of breast cancer in The Bahamas.