Andrea “Andy” Tankin was a teacher, life-long learner, and one of the first people in the United States to pursue a career as a physician’s assistant. The wife and mother was diagnosed with adult lymphoblastic leukemia and myelodysplastic syndrome in 2009, and lived with the disease for nine years.
To honor her memory, her husband, Harry, and their son, Noah, established the Andrea N. Tankin Patient Fund at Fox Chase Cancer Center. Andy firmly believed “to whom much has been given, much will be expected” and her family has acted on this belief by providing assistance to patients and families receiving care in the Department of Bone Marrow Transplant and Cellular Therapies who are facing financial distress.
While cancer treatment can create a cascade of challenges, a bone marrow transplant may compound these, as it can require extended periods of hospitalization. This may make it difficult for patients to work during treatment. Financial support can be particularly helpful to patients and families in this situation.
The Tankin Fund has been used to pay for transportation, temporary housing, household emergencies, and much more. Decisions on distributions from the fund are made and managed by the department’s social work team, who assess and qualify need while monitoring patient use. Social Work services are free and confidential, but direct patient support is often made possible by private philanthropy.
Harry Tankin died in 2020, and Noah has continued to raise funds in his mother’s memory with the support of family and friends. You can contribute to the Andrea N. Tankin Patient Fund by clicking here.
