MassMutual Foundation Grant to Help Children with Cancer in Springfield Area

SPRINGFIELD — Children with cancer in the Springfield area are about to receive much-needed support, thanks to the MassMutual Foundation’s recent $75,000 grant to Circle of Care, a nonprofit that supports families of children with cancer.

The average out-of-pocket medical cost for these families can be as high as $35,000, but medical expenses are just the tip of the iceberg. Often, one parent must leave work to care for their sick child, leaving families with compounding expenses because of loss of income and inability to keep up with household bills, travel costs, increased childcare needs, and more.

Circle of Care, based in Connecticut, offers comprehensive support to these families by reducing the emotional and financial strain created by their child’s medical crisis. Driven by the large number of families in need, Circle of Care has begun to expand its reach outside Connecticut and into Massachusetts and New York, seeking to aid communities with fewer available resources, such as Springfield.

In the fall of 2022, Circle of Care began a six-month pilot program providing financial assistance to families being treated at Baystate Children’s Hospital. This latest grant from the MassMutual Foundation will provide resources for Circle of Care to make a full commitment to these families, creating a longer-term partnership with Baystate and the Springfield community.

“The MassMutual Foundation is proud to support the expansion of Circle of Care into Massachusetts and in particular within the Baystate Health system,” said Dennis Duquette, president of the MassMutual Foundation. “Their holistic model of support, with its particular focus on financial well-being for families navigating a child’s cancer diagnosis and treatment, is as critical as it is exemplary.”