A week or so ago, I was contacted by Horace Sam, a former chef here OTF, and he informed me that he was being evaluated for prostate cancer. With Horace’s approval, I immediately reached out to OTF member and cancer specialist, Dr. William Whaley (Georgia Cancer Specialists), and asked if he would meet with Horace and take him as a patient.  Doc Whaley wasted no time, met with Horace and within a few days, confirmed a prostate cancer diagnosis. Dr. Whaley will begin treating Horace 3/16/23.

As soon as the confirmation was made, members of the Old Toccoa Farm team worked on how best to assist Horace and his family. First, they had to make sure Horace had COBRA since he was no longer employed and insured through the company.  Our administrative staff worked tirelessly to effectively navigate the continuation of insurance protocols, and within a few days confirmed that continuation of insurance was in place through COBRA. Having an active COBRA account has allowed Dr. Whaley, a well-known oncologist in the greater Atlanta area, to enroll Horace into a Northside Hospital assistance program.  This program will significantly reduce the financial burden related to his cancer treatment. On top of that, arrangements have been made to fund two months of Horace’s COBRA premiums allowing Horace to focus on his treatment.

A clear next step was to reach out to OTF members Ted and Cathy Day, as they have experience in setting up tax free charitable giving programs through this Helping Hands, Inc., 501C3.  As a result of their efforts, within 48 hours, this charitable giving account was setup for Horace Sam and the account is ready to receive donations.

With Horace’s treatments just beginning, he and his family will need ongoing assistance for expenses related to everyday life. Groceries, utilities, rent, insurance (auto and health), various medical related expenses, and other expenses. While Horace is focused on treatment, his wife Domonique (a stay at home mother), will be focused on caring for their 4 children, who are between the age of 4 years old and 10 years old.

We ask that you consider some level of assistance as we, to support Horace is his time of need.