Our C.A.R.E. Fundraising Program

EDUCATION TO FIGHT CANCER

Education to Fight Cancer: Giving Patients a Second Chance at School and at Life

Rebuilding THE Futures OF PATIENTS Through Learning

At Covers to Fight Cancer, our mission has always been about more than survival - it’s about helping leukemia patients live full, meaningful lives. That’s why we created Education to Fight Cancer, a bold new program designed to provide young leukemia patients with the educational opportunities they deserve.

We’ve partnered with Montgomery County Community College’s award-winning Gateway Program to offer free, college-level courses to qualifying leukemia patients between the ages of 16–19. This program allows patients to earn high school and college credits simultaneously, giving them a second chance at an education that illness may have disrupted.

Whether they’ve fallen behind due to hospitalizations, side effects of treatment, or countless doctor’s visits, we believe no young person should have to choose between fighting cancer and finishing school.

Flag for Montgomery County Community College on a clear day with trees and buildings in the background.

Turning Personal Experience Into Impact: A Program to Help Other Patients Thrive

Our founder, P.D. Wylie, knows firsthand how devastating it can be to fall behind in school while battling leukemia. Diagnosed at just 16 years old, P.D. faced overwhelming fatigue, repeated hospitalizations, and medical complications that made staying in school nearly impossible. But after being accepted into Montco’s Gateway Program, he was able to catch up - and even graduate early with both high school and college credits. He was also one of the first cancer patients to ever be accepted into Montco’s Gateway Program.

That experience didn’t just change P.D.’s life. It inspired a mission: to make the same opportunity available to other young leukemia patients.

Young man with curly hair lying in a hospital bed, wearing a hospital gown, with hospital equipment in the background.
A woman speaking at a podium during a ceremony, with a large screen behind her displaying a slide with a photo of a woman in a suit and mask, and text about the Montgomery Colleges Commencement program.
Young man with dreadlocks giving a thumbs up, wearing a hospital wristband and a nasal cannula for oxygen, looking at the camera.
Group of graduates in caps and gowns holding diplomas during a graduation ceremony.
A group of four people, one person is dressed in a graduation gown and cap, holding a bouquet of flowers and a cane. The others are casually dressed, all wearing face masks. They appear to be celebrating the graduation.
A group of people sitting in an auditorium at a graduation ceremony, clapping, with some wearing caps and gowns. A woman in the background is taking a photo or video.
Front entrance of Parkhouse Hall, a modern brick building with large windows and glass doors, outdoor seating with umbrellas, and benches on grassy areas, under clear blue sky.
Hospital corridor with a directional sign for Oncology Clinic in Waiting Area B, listing services such as Oncology, Bone Marrow Transplant, Cancer Survivorship Program, and Neuro-Oncology. There is a wheelchair in the hallway and multiple numbered doors along the corridor.

The Education to Fight Cancer Program is proud to partner with Montgomery County Community College’s Gateway Program to provide affordable, accessible education to young leukemia patients who have fallen behind in school due to treatment, hospitalization, or the side effects of their illness.

The program is open to leukemia patients between the ages of 16 and 19, and through our partnership with Montgomery County Community College and our expanding hospital network, student patients will be able to apply either through a hospital social worker or directly on our website (which will launch soon after the program rolls out).

Thanks to this partnership, we will be able to serve leukemia patients across 23 school districts in Pennsylvania:

Abington, Boyertown, Cheltenham, Colonial, Daniel Boone, Exeter, Hatboro-Horsham, Jenkintown, Methacton, Norristown, North Penn, Owen J. Roberts, Perkiomen Valley, Phoenixville, Pottsgrove, Souderton, Springfield, Spring-Ford, Upper Dublin, Upper Merion, Upper Moreland, Upper Perkiomen, and Wissahickon.

Who This Program Helps

In-Person Program

  1. Students attend in-person, college-level classes on campus at Montgomery County Community College (or another participating college in their region).

  2. These courses count toward both their high school diploma and future college degree.

HOW IT WORKS:

VIRTUAL Program

  1. We’re working with Montco to develop a new, flexible version of this program for patients who need to learn remotely due to hospitalization or treatment - allowing them to continue their education without ever having to leave their hospital rooms.

  2. Our goal is to eliminate barriers and make education truly accessible - no matter what a patient is facing.

Interior of Montgomery County Community College with large digital display and seating area.

JUST THE START OF THIS PROGRAM

We’re not stopping here. As we continue to expand, we are working to connect Montgomery County Community College directly with local children’s hospitals in our charity’s network. This will allow social workers and medical teams to refer eligible leukemia patients to the program, creating a hospital-to-education pipeline that ensures more patients across more regions have direct access to education if, or when, they fall behind in school due to treatment.

Additionally, because we are working closely with each student’s school district through MCCC, every credit earned through the program will count toward their high school diploma and also provide a head start on their college education.

We’re excited to share more details soon and look forward to officially rolling out the full program in the near future.

In addition to providing affordable education to leukemia patients, we’re separately launching a series of educational magazines that will be sold at fundraising concerts and through our website as an additional way to raise funds.

These magazines will:

  • Educate readers about healthcare literacy and patient rights

  • Provide information on how to get involved in patient advocacy

  • Highlight the ways communities can support and are already supporting patients in need

Proceeds will go toward supporting the Education to Fight Cancer Program, providing financial aid for patient medical bills, and advancing our advocacy efforts.

We will also be sharing these magazines with members of our Monthly Encore Collective, our community of monthly donors.

More Than Just a Program

A person in a dark blue suit with red and white patterned tie and sunglasses standing on a bridge with a campus building in the background.