Pictured, from left to right: Melanie Hammontree, director of development, Austin Hatcher Foundation; Jim "JV" Vaughn, market president at Truist; and Amy Jo Osborn, president + CEO, Austin Hatcher Foundation
The Austin Hatcher Foundation for Pediatric Cancer announced today it received a $12,500 grant from Truist Foundation to further provide free psychosocial care to families facing childhood cancer, advancing education, health and wellbeing.
One hundred percent of the funds from the Truist Foundation grant go to providing 100 percent free comprehensive coordinated care to families facing pediatric cancer. This includes counseling, therapy, education and “whatever it takes” to empower families to cope in the present and thrive in the future.
"The Austin Hatcher Foundation’s vision is for all childhood cancer patients, survivors and the entire family to reach their full human potential through education, balance and health & well-being," officials said.
“We want to express our deepest gratitude to Truist Foundation for allowing us to advance the care AHF can provide at no cost to families experiencing some of the hardest battles of their lives,” said Melanie Hammontree, director of development at AHF. “This grant is essential in helping the Austin Hatcher Foundation as we’re facilitating both family growth and survival through the crises generated by pediatric cancer. We believe family centered care, provided at no cost through ongoing multidisciplinary approaches, is the key to improving a family’s quality of life during this difficult journey, and we could not provide these services without partners like Truist Foundation.”
"AHF’s mission to optimize the entire family’s quality of life through specialized intervention begins at the time of diagnosis and continues throughout survivorship of the entire family," officials said. "Because, unfortunately, when a child is diagnosed with cancer, their entire family faces the effects from diagnosis. AHF services include individual/family counseling, occupational therapy, music and art therapy, marriage counseling, grief support, tutoring, neurocognitive testing, family programs and more."
“Truist is a company based on care. We recognize that when families and children are facing cancer, their financial situation shouldn’t determine the level of treatment they receive,” said Johnny Moore, Tennessee regional president for Truist. “Our support of the Austin Hatcher Foundation for Pediatric Cancer helps advance our community’s access to critical healthcare, and it’s how we fulfill Truist’s purpose to inspire and build better lives and communities.”