Speaker: Molly MacDonald - "For I Know The Plans I Have For You…"

November 17 @ 7 pm - Zoom

Molly MacDonald knows what it’s like to battle the financial burdens of breast cancer while undergoing treatment to battle the disease.

Diagnosed with early stage breast cancer in April 2005, the disease was unlikely to take her life, but did take her livelihood. She was between jobs and was unable to start her new job as planned. Her family’s already tight budget was immediately overburdened with the addition of a monthly COBRA health insurance payments coupled with the loss of her income.

Within months, MacDonald and her family faced the potential for catastrophic financial losses, including the loss of their home. At the end of treatment when family and friends stopped delivering dinner, MacDonald was forced to use a local food bank to feed her family.

When MacDonald’s quest to Get Help was met with blank stares, she became determined to Give Help to others suffering from lost income as a result of their diagnosis and treatment.
In 2006 she founded The Pink Fund, which provides 90 days of non-medical financial aid to cover basic cost of living expenses, such as health insurance, housing, transportation and utilities.

By providing this financial bridge, The Pink Fund helps to meet basic needs, while decreasing stress levels. These factors help breast cancer patients focus on healing, and improve survivorship outcomes and quality of life.

Since its founding through June 2020, The Pink Fund has made just over $4.2 million in bill payments on behalf of breast cancer survivors in active treatment.

In 2012, Ford Motor Company invited The Pink Fund to be one of their charity partners benefiting from the Warriors in Pink program which allowed them to serve patients in all 50 states. challenging problems in the second half of life”, and Money Magazine’s 2014 Michigan Money Hero.

For her work, MacDonald has been the recipient of many local and national awards. Most recently she was named a 2020 Notable Woman in Health by Crain’s Detroit business, a 2019/20 AARP Purpose Prize Fellow and a Distinguished Woman, Northwood University, a 2019/20 Patient Champion, North America by EyeforPharma.  In 2018, MacDonald was awarded NAWBO Detroit’s Philanthropic Award and named a 2018 Healthcare Hero by Crain’s Detroit Business. In 2016 and 2017 was named by Ernst & Young as a Finalist for the EY Entrepreneur of the Year for Michigan and Northwest Ohio.