The Community Foundation of Greater Chattanooga has awarded a $20,000 grant to the Austin Hatcher Foundation for Pediatric Cancer. The grant will provide funding for comprehensive psychological and neuropsychological assessments, as well as academic coaching for families affected by pediatric cancer. These services are part of the landmark “early detection/early intervention” programming the Foundation provides through Hatch’s house of hope, a pediatric cancer care center.
“Service at Hatch’s are focused on helping families thrive in the face of this terrible disease, “ said Jim Osborn, co-founder of the Austin Hatcher Foundation. “We are embarking on a new phase in cancer care and the Austin Hatcher Foundation is grateful for the support of the Community Foundation of Greater Chattanooga.”
With more than 80% of children surviving cancer, it is estimated that by 2030, one in every 250 adults will be a pediatric cancer survivor. Many of these children are left with psychological and neuropsychologic issues affecting their long term success. In addition, approximately 60-80% of the siblings of children with cancer have social and academic issues altering their development and future.
One recent study published in the Journal of Cancer Epidemiology has even reported that adults who are childhood cancer survivors are 20-25% less likely to marry than their peers.
Until recently there were few programs designed to specifically address these cancer related issues. The Austin Hatcher Foundation and its Hatch’s house of hope are working to change that. With the help of the Community Foundation of Greater Chattanooga, they have the opportunity to help these families minimize the psychological and educational side affects of pediatric cancer and its necessary treatment.
Hatch’s house of hope, located at 979 E. 3rd St. C-232, was opened in September of 2009. Services at Hatch’s are free of charge to those accepted for care. Hatch’s has programs designed to help families during all stages of pediatric cancer treatment, however, at the present time, comprehensive psychological and neuropsychological exams are limited to families with children diagnosed within the last six month.
The Austin Hatcher Foundation for a carefree childhood was formed in 2006 after Amy Jo and Jim Osborn lost their infant son Hatch to a rare form of pediatric cancer. The foundation's mission is to support research towards the diagnosis, treatment and development of a cure for pediatric cancer, and to provide support and hope to children and families undergoing treatment as well as those who have lost children due to cancer. The foundation has developed a group of programs and services essential to help cancer stricken children and their families function within their community. All services provided by the Foundation are free of charge, funded solely by the donations of its supporters.
Hatch's house of hope is a unique concept designed to keep the family unit whole when dealing with pediatric cancer. Specifically, these services include Comprehensive Psychological/Neuropsychological testing, educational programming to help effected children overcome their cognitive and learning deficits, emotional counseling for the cancer affected child, their siblings and parents, and marital and financial counseling to ensure a safe environment to maximize the family growth as a whole. All services at Hatch's are free to its guests, funded entirely by donations. Erlanger Medical Mall is the site of the first Hatch's house of hope, which opened Sept. 18, 2009. For more information, visit www.hatcherfoundation.org.