Bahamas Hope Challenge created the Cancer treatment Medical Assistance Fund, the first of its kind in the country, which is administered by the Cancer Society. The Fund supports cancer patients with their treatment costs through financial grants and is currently a $100,000 per year commitment by Bahamas Hope Challenge. For more information please contact the Cancer Society.

The Family Islands Mammogram Screening Program (FIMS) brings women to New Providence for a free mammogram screening. The day trip includes a lecture on breast cancer risks to Bahamian women, a tour of the Cancer Caring Center, a light lunch, and the mammogram screening. Early screening is a proven method in early diagnosis which leads to dramatically higher survival rates after treatment. To date over 1,800 women from Eleuthera, Andros, Exuma, Cat Island and San Salvador have participated in the program. Plans are underway to expand the program nationally. FIMS also funds follow up costs for women in need.

Located in the heart of New Providence, in close proximity to the nation’s medical hub, the Cancer Caring Center provides a home-like environment with professional care to cancer patients from the Family Islands who have come to New Providence for their treatment. The extraordinary facility, available to ordinary citizens, is described as “a place where pain management is understood and medical attention provided in a setting of beauty, tranquility and personal freedom, a place where family members can visit and linger.”

Bahamas Hope Challenge funded the completion of the Cancer Society’s headquarters and clinic in Palmetto Point, Eleuthera. From this facility the Cancer Society reaches out to all communities on Eleuthera, Spanish Wells, and Harbour Island, holding clinics and informational sessions on cancer, at risk women, early detection opportunities, and much more.