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A Syracuse Breast Cancer Foundation Ensures Healing is the Only Concern for CNY Women Saint Agatha Foundation Ensures Healing is the Only Concern for CNY Women

By Avery Gingerich

Laurie Mezzalingua's Desire
© 2023 Avery Gingerich

Avery Gingerich: “Syracuse resident Pamela Bullock was diagnosed with breast cancer nine years ago. She says the weight of the diagnosis was unlike anything she’d felt before.”

Pamela Bullock: “I fell to my knees and thought I was going to die. You know? Yeah, it was terrible. Didn’t know how I got home. I didn’t know how I got home that day.”

Avery Gingerich: “Bullock was lucky — her tumor was discovered early.

Other women aren’t as lucky. A study published by the National Institutes of health says women in new York State experience several obstacles to treatment.

Lack of transportation and no paid time off are factors. Fear about being diagnosed is another.

The president of Saint Agatha Foundation Kathy Mezzalingua says her organization is eager to alleviate that fear.”

Kathy Mezzalingua: “We also handle mortgages, gas bills, we give food appointment cards, we pay utilities. Everything that they need to focus on their healing, so they don’t have to worry financially.”

Avery Gingerich: “Saint Agatha Foundation was founded in 2011.

Since then, the foundation has helped a little more than 10,000 individuals with almost $18 million in grant payments.

It’s on track to distribute almost $1 million by the end of this year.

Bullock reached out to the foundation during her treatment. She says the assistance was exceptional.”

Pamela Bullock: “The Saint Agatha Grant took everything that had to do with my breast cancer aside and paid for it through that. And it was an amazing feeling.”

Avery Gingerich: “With October being Breast Cancer Awareness Month, Mezzalingua says she’s inspired by the perseverance of survivors and the development of new treatments.

She says any woman in need can ask her healthcare provider or contact the foundation directly.

Avery Gingerich, N-C-C News.”

SYRACUSE, N.Y. (NCC News) — Kathy Mezzalingua watched her daughter Laurie Mezzalingua battle breast cancer for 12 years.

Mezzalingua’s now the president of Saint Agatha Foundation, a Syracuse-based non-profit her daughter founded to assist breast cancer patients with the financial cost of treatment.

Mezzalingua said Saint Agatha Foundation honors Laurie’s memory by ensuring that women in need can prioritize healing by paying some – or all – of their financial needs.

“We handle mortgages, gas bills, we give food appointment cards, we pay utilities. Everything that they need to focus on their healing, so they don’t have to worry financially,” Mezzalingua said.

The foundation has assisted a little more than 10,000 individuals across Central New York with almost $18 million in financial assistance. It’s on track to distribute almost $1 million of assistance by the end of this year.

Syracuse resident Pamela Bullock was diagnosed with breast cancer nine years ago. She said she was out shopping when she received the call. The weight of the diagnosis was unlike anything she’d felt before.

“I fell to my knees and thought I was going to die. You know? Yeah, it was terrible. Didn’t know how I got home. I didn’t know how I got home that day,” Bullock said.

Bullock was lucky — her tumor was discovered early. She immediately began radiation treatment. Six weeks and one lumpectomy later, the tumor was destroyed.

Bullock said she had good health insurance, so wasn’t necessarily concerned about her finances. That said, Bullock said the frequency of her treatment, the anxiety around her diagnosis and the lingering fear of a new tumor were burdens on her and her family.

Saint Agatha Foundation helped pay for Bullock’s treatment and listened to her fears. She said the assistance was exceptional.

“The Saint Agatha grant took everything that had to do with my breast cancer aside and paid for it through that. And it was an amazing feeling,” Bullock said.

With October being Breast Cancer Awareness Month, Mezzalingua said she’s inspired by the perseverance of survivors and the development of new treatments. She said any woman in need can ask her healthcare provider or contact the foundation directly.

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