Green Country Residents Flip For A Cause

Lacie Lowry, News On 6

TULSA, Oklahoma -- Green Country residents woke up bright and early Saturday morning to flip for a cause.

A group called Assistance in Health Care threw a flapjack fundraiser to raise money for cancer patients. One woman who volunteers with the group has her own cancer battle.

A short stack for a tall cause. Supporters of the non-profit organization Assistance in Health Care bought pancake plates at Applebee's at 104th and Memorial.

"I've learned what a helpful, helpful organization this is. It benefits all cancer patients with those extra costs that they have," said supporter Jerry Harrison.

All of the money collected will help cancer patients being treated in the Tulsa area with non-medical expenses.

"House payments, car payments, even sometimes utilities and even some basic things sometimes because patients have so many extra expenses," said Assistance in Health Care Lynne Kennedy

Sunny James is painfully familiar with those extra expenses.

"You get into a situation of do I pay my car note to keep my treatments going or do I buy groceries or do I buy my medicine or what?" Sunny said.

Eleven years ago, Sunny was diagnosed with ovarian cancer. The money was running out.

"I had a high school daughter, she was an honor roll daughter, and she was going to quit school to get a job to help our family with the bills. We had cut off notices on everything," Sunny said.

That's when Assistance in Health Care stepped in and became the blessing Sunny had prayed for.

"It's hard to describe in words, but I guess the best way I can describe it is like climbing under a warm electric blanket when you've been out in the freezing rain all day," She said.

Last year, Sunny's cancer came back in stage 4. In between treatments, she volunteers with the group that's helped her in both bouts with cancer, as more and more patients are needing financial help.

Assistance in Health Care gives out $15,000 a month to cancer patients, but the need is closer to $75,000. They hold fundraisers like this to increase the budget and help more people.