When I was diagnosed with stage IV cancer, my husband Larry held everything together. Every appointment and decision, every hard moment. He showed up without a roadmap.

After I survived, we wrote Everyone Needs a Larry to honor the caregiver’s role. And in telling that story, something became impossible to ignore: Larry didn't have support. Not because people didn’t care, but because the system wasn’t built for him. That realization became this program.

When someone is diagnosed with cancer or facing a serious medical crisis, two people are affected: the person going through treatment… and the person who quietly carries it all. The caregiver.

Spouses. Parents. Adult children. Friends who step in and don’t step away. They manage appointments, medications, finances, and daily life, while trying to stay strong for everyone else. And when everything stops for a family… caregivers are expected to keep going.

The caregiver is the overlooked second patient. And supporting the caregiver is not separate from care… it is care.

The research makes this undeniable

Supporting caregivers doesn’t just help them, it directly impacts the patient.

78% of caregivers experience burnout
87% live with ongoing stress and anxiety
1 in 3 experiences clinical depression
1 in 5 faces serious financial strain

When a caregiver’s health declines, patient care declines with it. Yet most systems are built for the diagnosis, not the people standing beside the patient.

How we’re responding

The Zero Negative Foundation provides fast, direct microfunding for caregivers. Not as a byproduct of patient care, but because caregiver wellbeing is a crisis of its own. We partner with hospitals, care facilities, and family support organizations, including We Got This and All People, to deliver relief directly to families in real time. No lengthy applications. No delays. Just support when it’s needed most.

This is our newest program, and the beginning of building a more complete system of support for caregivers.

Your gift provides real, immediate relief

These aren’t extras. They’re the everyday costs that quietly pile up when families are in survival mode.

$500+ → groceries, meals, gas, essential needs
$1,000+ → rent, utilities, urgent bills that can’t wait

Someone is holding everything together right now. Support them. Because when caregivers are supported, patients do better.

Thank you.

With love, Jenn, Founder, Stage IV survivor, and co-author of Everyone Needs a Larry

Caring for Caregivers: A Program by The Zero Negative Foundation