Jessica Walling, 36, found a lump in her breast last fall and was diagnosed with Triple Negative Breast Cancer, a subtype in which the three most common receptors known to fuel most breast cancers are not present. Jessica found a clinic that could begin treating her quickly, but after her first cycle of chemotherapy, she already felt taxed by the fragmented nature of her care.

That's when a friend introduced Jessica to Banner MD Anderson Cancer Center. “By the end of my first appointment, I knew I was moving my care to Banner MD Anderson,” Jessica says. Not only could she get her medical needs met in one location by a highly specialized team of experts in her specific cancer type, she would also be eligible for clinical trials of the latest investigational treatments through Banner MD Anderson’s robust research portfolio.

Meanwhile, Jessica’s husband David, a Valley entrepreneur, was starting a nonprofit called the Be Kind Project to support various acts of kindness with an emphasis on animals, children and those afflicted by illness.

The Be Kind Project: Banner MD Anderson Breast Cancer Patient Assistance Endowment will support breast cancer patients and their families with care expenses not covered by insurance, including clinical trial participation, genetic counseling, psycho-oncology support and more. The Wallings pledged a significant gift to start the endowment and are currently raising funds to help it grow.

Can we count on your charitable gift this year to help patients like Jessica and the one in eight women who will be diagnosed with breast cancer in their lifetimes?

Philanthropic support helps Banner MD Anderson to provide life-saving care, conduct groundbreaking research and ensure every patient has the best possible chance for a cure. With your support, we can continue Banner MD Anderson’s promise to Make Cancer History. Thank you for considering a gift to advance cancer care in Arizona.

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