Meet UVSC Hero, Jacob Davis, a 36-year-old self-employed, small business owner working to support his wife and 4-year old daughter while also juggling cancer treatment. Mahalo for inspiring us with your strength and hope, Jacob!
In Hawaiʻi, more than half of households are struggling to make ends meet – even when there are two earners. UVSC is here to help families find breathing room when bills pile up so they have the moments they need for themselves and their families — and moments for peace, healing, and rest. You don’t have to face cancer alone. Letʻs make each moment count. 💫⏳
Meet UVSC Hero, Rochelle, who is 24 years-old. She was married last year and shortly afterwards was diagnosed with Stage 1 breast cancer. Like many young women fighting cancer who hope to become mothers one day, she faced the possibility of future fertility issues due to chemotherapy and radiation. Fertility preservation services are not covered by most insurance plans and can cost patients $10,000-$20,000 to safeguard their futures.
Meet UVSC Beneficiary, Eric. He is a single father of two teenage boys and is bravely battling Stage 3 colon cancer. After his family lost their home in the devastating Lahaina fires, he and his sons relocated to Kahului, but he is unable to work due to his medical condition and frequent doctor visits. Because English is not Eric’s primary language, his sons bravely take turns accompanying him to his doctor’s appointments to act as translators – oftentimes needing to miss school to do so. As he continues to navigate his cancer journey along with the challenges of finding permanent, affordable housing and caring for his sons, UVSC hopes to ease his family’s financial burden so he can continue to focus on healing, living and enjoying time with his sons.
During the August wildfires on Maui, about 40% of the people living in Lahaina were of Filipino descent and many of those do not speak English as their primary language. This adds further difficultly and complexity to accessing fire relief and assistance services, and government benefits. UVSC is fortunate to have strong partnerships with other community organizations, like Pacific Cancer Foundation, whose skilled cancer navigators have been able to assist us with language translation and outreach to the Filipino community. 
Kosianjra is 18 years old and was diagnosed with acute myeloid leukemia in May 2023 as she was nearing completion of her senior year at Kamehameha Schools on Maui. Kosianjra was living with her mother, Tamara, and younger brother at the time. Shortly after that, the cost of rent was increased significantly by the family’s landlord forcing the family to move out and stay with friends temporarily until they could afford another place. During this time, Kosianjra began her cancer treatment at Kapiolani Medical Center for Women and Children on O’ahu while her mom stayed at Ronald McDonald House and her brother was housed with other relatives on Maui. There is no pediatric cancer care available on Maui so Kosianjra must travel to O’ahu for all of her appointments, tests and treatments, which adds a significant amount of cost and physical/mental exhaustion to managing an already difficult situation.
I had right breast mastectomy in May and chemotherapy in July. When I had chemotherapy, I had to stay on Oahu for three whole months. It was really hard for me being away from the family. I missed their first day of the school, my son’s birthday, basketball game and so on. Thankfully for technology, I was able to maintain my emotional health with daily video calls with them.