Another week has raced by

Another week has gone by and it’s another Photo Friday!  This week has been crazy.  Wednesday night we joined millions around the country to say goodbye to David Letterman.  To be honest over the years we were always more Tonight Show fans, but we wanted to see the end of an era and have been watching quite a bit of Dave in recent weeks.

I’ve passed the one week mark waiting for my HCG results to come in. I have another week or two to wait.  For the most part I’m doing ok, but the waiting does stress me out from time to time.  Several doctor appointments are coming up shortly.

Shortly after I post this I will be in Pittsburgh. (Of course by the time you read this I may be back home).  I’m leaving Johnny, Tillie and Rose for a 2 day conference dedicated to outpatient treatment for breast cancer patients.  The conference will be attended by doctors, nurses, physical and occupational therapists, and massage therapists.  We’ll be going over diagnostic, surgical, radiation, reconstruction, and medical oncologic management of breast cancer.  I’m looking forward to the conference, but after all the trips to Chicago it’s very hard for me to be away from home.  I haven’t even left and I’m already missing Johnny and the girls.

 

Another big cancer charity scam story this week aired on NPR here’s the Script Howard version.  It just confirms my beliefs that if you’re going to give to a charity instead of directly helping someone you need to know where your money is going.

By Mina Abgoon. CREATED May 19, 2015

The operators of four related cancer charities are accused of conning their donors out of more than $187 million over the span of several years, allegedly using funds for personal reasons and fundraisers rather than on assistance to cancer patients.

Alleging the charities violated federal and state regulations, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) — as well as the 50 states and the District of Columbia — announced on Tuesday a lawsuit against the Cancer Fund of America, Children's Cancer Fund of America, Cancer Support Services and the Breast Cancer Society.

All of the organizations are run either by members of the same family or their close business associates. The complaint names the charities and three family members — James Reynolds Sr., James Reynolds II and Rose Perkins — as defendants, according to the Wall Street Journal.

NPR reports the accused told donors their money was being used for services like hospice care and transporting chemotherapy patients, while most of it — about 85 percent — was in reality being used for professional fundraisers, while much of the rest went to personal uses like trips and concert tickets.

Only about 3 percent of the collective funds raised were actually used for charitable purposes, CNBC reports. 

"The defendants' egregious scheme effectively deprived legitimate cancer charities and cancer patients of much-needed funds and support," Jessica Rich, director of the FTC's Bureau of Consumer Protection, reportedly said in a statement. "The defendants took in millions of dollars in donations meant to help cancer patients, but spent it on themselves and their fundraisers."

NPR reports, “Two of the charities — the Breast Cancer society and Children's Cancer Fund of America — have agreed to settle the suits and disband. But the Cancer Fund of America and Cancer Support Services, as well as one official of the charities, are fighting the allegations.”

Mark Hammond, the South Carolina secretary of state, said the allegations should remind people to be “vigilant when giving to charity.”

Remember those who gave all