Indianapolis cancer nonprofit group helping Hoosier patients heal

INDIANAPOLIS — Tucked away on the northwest side of Indianapolis is a small organization making a big impact.

For more than 20 years, the Cancer Support Community of Central Indiana has been making sure people in Central Indiana don't face cancer alone.

The organization provides free support services to cancer patients, their caregivers, and family members.

CSC focuses on psychosocial support that compliments medical treatments. Some of the offerings include individual and group counseling, education, wellness and cooking classes, and financial assistance.

Steve Curry, 54, said those services have meant all the difference in his cancer journey. He was diagnosed with stage 4 colon cancer at the age of 48.

“In June of 2017, I was given 18 months to live. I should have died in December of 2018. I'm still here.” Curry said.

He connected with CSC shortly after coming to terms with his terminal diagnosis.

“I got diagnosed, go through the six months, cancer is gone, right? This is what I thought.” Curry said, but when his doctor told him his cancer was not going away, he was prompted to get help. That’s when he started going through counseling services provided by Cancer Support Community.

When he was first diagnosed and going through treatment, Curry was unemployed. So, in addition to the counseling services, he was able to take advantage of some financial assistance.

All the services Curry used were free of charge thanks to donations to the Cancer Support Community.

“They rely on donations, so those donations, then fund their ability to, you know, give me a $25 gas card, which for me, is like a month worth of trips down to get chemotherapy when I'm going every two weeks. So, if you can give up Starbucks for a day, then you help someone like me stay alive.” Curry said.

To learn more about the services Cancer Support Community Offers and how you can support them in its mission, visit its website.