Press Release
2012-05-31
Boehringer Ingelheim and CancerCare® Launch My Cancer Circle Online Tool for Cancer Caregivers
Ridgefield, CT and New York, NY – May 31, 2012 – Boehringer Ingelheim Pharmaceuticals, Inc. and CancerCare® today announced the launch of My Cancer Circle™ (www.MyCancerCircle.net), a free, private, customizable online tool that enables caregivers of people facing cancer to organize and coordinate a circle of family members and friends to provide practical and emotional support. MyCancerCircle.net will provide caregivers of people facing cancer a simple, effective answer to a question they are asked constantly, “What can we do to help?”
Powered by Lotsa Helping Hands, MyCancerCircle.net is an online caring community that brings together friends, family and volunteers to support families and caregivers of people with cancer. Lotsa Helping Hands offers technical assistance through their Member Support Center, ensuring My Cancer Circle communities get the most out of their experience.
A cancer diagnosis profoundly impacts family members and others close to the person facing cancer, and managing daily life while caring for a loved one can be especially overwhelming for caregivers. MyCancerCircle.net empowers these caregivers to take control and create online caring communities through which people can easily and efficiently offer support. This enables families and caregivers to focus on what is most important: caring for their loved one with cancer.
“Boehringer Ingelheim recognizes that caregivers provide enormous support for their loved ones with cancer, and they too need to be supported,” said Kevin Lokay, Vice President and Business Unit Head, Oncology, at Boehringer Ingelheim. “This service demonstrates Boehringer Ingelheim’s goal to help support people facing cancer as well as those who care for them every day. We are thrilled to be collaborating with CancerCare and Lotsa Helping Hands on this important initiative.”
MyCancerCircle.net was officially launched on May 31 at the Annual Meeting of the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) in Chicago.
Community support can come in the form of assistance with daily tasks such as cooking meals, driving to medical appointments or helping with household chores. MyCancerCircle.net will encourage message and photo sharing among community members, while providing access to resources available through CancerCare, including counseling services, support groups and educational workshops.
CancerCare is a national nonprofit organization that provides free, professional support services for people affected by cancer. “At CancerCare, we are committed to helping those affected by cancer manage not only the emotional aspects of a cancer diagnosis, but also the practical ones,” said Helen H. Miller, LCSW, CEO of CancerCare. “We are excited to collaborate with Boehringer Ingelheim on My Cancer Circle to provide much needed support for people facing a cancer diagnosis and their families.”
To learn more about My Cancer Circle or to create a community to support a loved one or family facing cancer, please visit www.MyCancerCircle.net.
About Boehringer Ingelheim Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
Boehringer Ingelheim Pharmaceuticals, Inc., based in Ridgefield, CT, is the largest U.S. subsidiary of Boehringer Ingelheim Corporation (Ridgefield, CT) and a member of the Boehringer Ingelheim group of companies.
The Boehringer Ingelheim group is one of the world’s 20 leading pharmaceutical companies. Headquartered in Ingelheim, Germany, it operates globally with 145 affiliates and more than 42,000 employees. Since it was founded in 1885, the family-owned company has been committed to researching, developing, manufacturing and marketing novel products of high therapeutic value for human and veterinary medicine.
As a central element of its culture, Boehringer Ingelheim pledges to act socially responsible. Involvement in social projects, caring for employees and their families, and providing equal opportunities for all employees form the foundation of the global operations. Mutual cooperation and respect, as well as environmental protection and sustainability, are intrinsic factors in all of Boehringer Ingelheim’s endeavors.
About Boehringer Ingelheim in Oncology
Building on scientific expertise and excellence in the fields of pulmonary and cardiovascular medicine, metabolic disease, neurology, virology and immunology, Boehringer Ingelheim has embarked on a major research program to develop innovative cancer treatments. Working in close collaboration with the international scientific community and a number of the world’s leading cancer centers, Boehringer Ingelheim’s commitment to oncology is underpinned by using advances in science to develop a range of targeted therapies for various solid tumors and hematological cancers.
Boehringer Ingelheim’s oncology pipeline continues to evolve and demonstrates the company’s continued commitment to the disease area.
For more information, please visit http://us.boehringer-ingelheim.com and follow us on Twitter at http://twitter.com/boehringerus.
About Cancer*Care*
CancerCare is a national nonprofit organization that provides free, professional support services to individuals, families, caregivers and the bereaved to help them better cope with and manage the emotional and practical challenges arising from cancer. CancerCare’s services include counseling and support groups, educational publications and workshops and financial assistance. All of these services are provided by professional oncology social workers and are offered completely free of charge. CancerCare helps more than 100,000 individuals and families in all 50 states each year, and receives more than one million visits to their websites. To speak with a CancerCare social worker, call 800 813 HOPE (4673). Or, visit www.cancercare.org. CancerCare is not an affiliate of Boehringer Ingelheim Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
About Lotsa Helping Hands
Lotsa Helping Hands powers online caring communities that help restore health and balance to caregivers’ lives. More than 65 million people serve as caregivers for aging loved ones and those with chronic disease or disability. The service brings together caregivers and volunteers through online communities that organize daily life during times of medical crisis or caregiver exhaustion in neighborhoods and communities worldwide. Caregivers benefit from the gifts of much needed help, emotional support, and peace of mind, while volunteers find meaning in giving back to those in need. To date, nearly one million members have lent a hand through a Lotsa Helping Hands Community and more than 50 national nonprofit organizations partner with Lotsa Helping Hands to support caregivers. For more information about Lotsa Helping Hands, visit www.lotsahelpinghands.com. Lotsa Helping Hands is not an affiliate of Boehringer Ingelheim Pharmaceuticals, Inc.