Bridge the Distance Fund is a fiscally sponsored charitable project that helps adult cancer patients facing financial hardship reach specialized medical care. The organization addresses the costs that can stand between patients and treatment, particularly when care requires traveling significant distances. Its need-based grants help cover transportation and lodging, expenses that insurance often does not cover and that can be difficult to manage alongside a cancer diagnosis.

Unlike programs limited to specific flights or lodging facilities, Bridge the Distance Fund offers flexible financial assistance designed to respond quickly to patients’ circumstances. The fund was founded after its founder, Ashley, experienced the practical and personal costs of relocating for cancer treatment and recognized that many patients lack similar support.

In its first year, the organization aims to assist 30 to 50 patients in Tennessee, Arkansas, and Mississippi, while building referral partnerships with cancer centers, oncology social workers, and patient navigators. Its longer-term vision is to expand nationally and demonstrate that distance and cost should not determine access to cancer care.