Where Your Donation Goes
A transparent look at how the Live Like Brent Foundation delivers direct financial relief to blood cancer patients across our hospital partner network.
Based on 1,903 patient expenses across 10 hospitals, 2022–2026
Average Expense Covered
Hospital Partners
Growth Since 2022
Need Categories
Where We Help
Every expense we cover addresses a critical need — from keeping the lights on to getting patients to treatment.
Aligned with Hospital Priorities
These support categories map directly to the Social Determinants of Health that hospitals track through their Community Health Needs Assessments (CHNA) — an IRS requirement for tax-exempt hospitals. By addressing transportation, housing, utilities, and other non-medical costs, LLBF provides hospitals with measurable community benefit data while delivering real relief to patients.
Utilities
Economic Stability$206
average per expense
16.1% of all expenses
Preventing utility shutoffs during treatment when patients cannot work. Maintaining safe living conditions — heat, electricity, water — is essential for immunocompromised patients undergoing chemotherapy.
Rent / Mortgage
Economic Stability$667
average per expense
3.3% of all expenses
Preventing housing loss when cancer patients can no longer work. Mortgage and rent assistance keeps families in their homes during the most difficult period of treatment.
Transportation
Access to Healthcare$51
average per expense
41.8% of all expenses
Removing transportation barriers so patients can reach treatment centers. Gas cards are the most frequently issued grant, reflecting the critical need for reliable transportation during active cancer treatment.
Lodging
Access to Healthcare$105
average per expense
19.8% of all expenses
Providing hotel and temporary housing near treatment centers for patients who must travel long distances for specialized cancer care, stem cell transplants, and multi-day treatment protocols.
Personal Items
Social & Community Context$150
average per expense
10.9% of all expenses
Covering personal essentials — wigs, dental work, clothing, and comfort items — that help patients maintain dignity and normalcy during cancer treatment.
Medication
Healthcare Access & Quality$279
average per expense
4.8% of all expenses
Covering medication co-pays, specialty pharmacy costs, and prescription expenses that insurance does not fully cover during active cancer treatment.
Other
Multiple Domains$155
average per expense
3% of all expenses
Miscellaneous patient support expenses that span multiple need categories, including phone bills, childcare, and other essential costs during treatment.
Food
Health & Healthcare$358
average per expense
0.3% of all expenses
Addressing food insecurity during treatment. Nutritional support is critical for patients undergoing chemotherapy and transplant recovery, especially when treatment side effects limit the ability to prepare meals.
Reducing the Economic Burden of Cancer Care
The typical expense we cover is $100 — often a gas card or lodging to keep a patient in treatment. Most individual expenses cluster between $50–$250, reflecting the everyday costs that accumulate during care. Higher-impact needs like rent (avg $667) and utilities (avg $206) address the acute financial crises that can derail treatment entirely.
These categories align with Community Health Needs Assessment (CHNA) priorities required under IRS Section 501(r)(3)
$100
Median
$132
Average
$1,200
Largest
Impact Across 10 Hospital Partners
Our comfort fund grants reach patients through a growing network of hospital partners across the Northeast and Appalachia.
St. Luke's
Average Per Expense
372
Expenses Covered
WVU Cancer Institute
Average Per Expense
742
Expenses Covered
Jefferson Health
Average Per Expense
201
Expenses Covered
Lehigh Valley
Average Per Expense
168
Expenses Covered
NYOH
Average Per Expense
125
Expenses Covered
Penn Medicine Doylestown
Average Per Expense
95
Expenses Covered
Geisinger
Average Per Expense
48
Expenses Covered
CHOP
Average Per Expense
115
Expenses Covered
Fox Chase Cancer Center
Average Per Expense
34
Expenses Covered
Chester County Hospital
Average Per Expense
3
Expenses Covered
Key Insight
St. Luke's averages $221 per expense across 372 grants — covering rent, utilities, and medication for patients in acute need — while WVU Cancer Institute averages $71 across 742 expenses, primarily gas cards and lodging for patients traveling for specialized treatment. This contrast illustrates our adaptability to each hospital's unique patient needs.
Expanding Our Reach Year by Year
From 12 expenses in our inaugural year to 359 in 2025 — tracking the growth of patient support across all hospital partners.
Expenses
64
Avg Expense
$168
Expenses
427
Avg Expense
$138
Expenses
497
Avg Expense
$147
Expenses
763
Avg Expense
$120
Expenses
152
Avg Expense
$116
Category Distribution by Year
How Our Expenses Are Distributed
From $15 gas cards to $1,200 rent assistance — the range reflects diverse patient needs across our hospital network.
Median Expense
Average Expense
Smallest Expense
Largest Single Expense
Key Insight
76.6% of all expenses fall between $50–$250 — gas cards, lodging, and small essentials that keep patients in treatment. Higher-impact categories like rent (avg $667), utilities (avg $206), and medication (avg $279) reflect the more acute financial burdens cancer patients face.
The People Behind the Numbers
Demographics shown in aggregate from patient stories submitted by hospital social workers. Identifying details have been generalized to protect patient privacy.
Age Distribution
Based on ~253 patient stories with age data. Peak: ages 46–75 (60.4%).
Gender Distribution
Based on 95 recent patient records with gender data.
Diagnosis Mentions
Diagnoses extracted from recent patient records. Many patients have multiple diagnoses or generic "blood cancer" references.
Patient Stories
“A young child diagnosed with leukemia requiring intensive, mostly inpatient treatment. Both parents are employed, but the daily travel to and from the hospital created mounting costs. The foundation helped cover transportation during this critical treatment period.”
“A father who had to stop working after his ALL diagnosis. He is in the process of a transplant and receiving partial salary through short-term disability. When the electric bill surged during winter and a shutoff notice arrived, the foundation stepped in to prevent it.”
“A young child going through treatment for B-ALL. Mom is a single parent who has had to take unpaid time off from work due to the demands of care. The foundation helped cover her car payment so she could continue getting her child to treatment appointments.”
“A patient who worked in transportation and has been unable to maintain his job between appointments, treatments, and side effects. It was very hard for him to accept needing help with his mortgage. The foundation covered several months of payments. He is hopeful that when he is in a better place, he could pay it forward.”
“A patient who spent two months in the hospital for a bone marrow transplant. As a working parent and caregiver, she was unable to continue working during treatment and fell behind on bills. With your help we were able to get her utilities caught up and prevent a shutoff.”
“An infant diagnosed with a rare form of leukemia who originally received care out of state. Care was transferred to a specialized center for a bone marrow transplant. The family relocated temporarily, and the foundation helped cover lodging costs near the hospital during this critical transition.”
About This Data
The figures presented in this report are derived from hospital social worker submissions spanning 2022 to the present. In our earlier years, hospital partners reported expenses in aggregate rather than on a per-patient basis, and record-keeping methods varied across institutions. As our tracking systems have matured, reporting has become more granular and standardized.
Where aggregate records were identified, we applied category-specific statistical methods to estimate individual expense counts. These estimates are designed to preserve total dollar amounts exactly while presenting a more accurate picture of the number of patients served. As a result, expense counts are reasonable approximations rather than exact totals.
The Live Like Brent Foundation is committed to transparency and has made every reasonable effort to present this data clearly and accurately. This report is intended for informational purposes and does not constitute audited financial statements. For audited financials, please refer to our annual IRS Form 990 filing.
Help Us Reach More Patients
Behind every statistic is a cancer patient who needed help with gas to get to treatment, a place to stay near the hospital, or food for their family. Your donation goes directly to patients in need.