Cancer Legal Research Center.

Jennifer Sawday is pleased to announce that she is a pro bono panel attorney with Cancer Legal Research Center at Loyola Law School. Here's a snippet from their website:

"The Cancer Legal Resource Center (CLRC) is a community-based joint program of the Disability Rights Legal Center and Loyola Law School. The CLRC provides free and confidential information and resources on cancer-related legal issues to people with cancer, their families, friends, employers, health care professionals, and others coping with cancer.

A cancer diagnosis can carry with it a variety of potential legal issues, including insurance coverage, employment discrimination, health care, child custody, and estate planning. These legal issues can cause people unnecessary worry, confusion, and stress, and can be overwhelming. When these legal issues are not addressed, people may find themselves surviving the disease, only to find that they have lost their homes, jobs, insurance, or families."

I was asked to join the panel in September. It took me a while to decide whether I wanted to be a part of the panel. It was a hard decision for two reasons.

One, I am not that comfortable with health matters (i.e., not good at the sight of blood) and two, my mother lost her life to cancer. 

I got over my aversion to health matters (for a lack of a better term) rather recently after helping two other individuals in my practice who were diagnosed with cancer. One gentleman was end-stage and the other was still fighting his diagnosis. It mattered more to be able to help them with their legal needs and, in that perspective, I quickly lost my aversion to the health matter issue.

I also decided that it is easy for me to provide legal advice and assistance in areas involving estate planning, durable powers of attorney, advance health care directives, family law and other related issues often facing individuals battling cancer.

So, I signed up and now I am proud to be a part of the panel.