Abstract
BACKGROUND: Young adults (YAs) with cancer aged 18-39 years often experience financial stressors and search for alternative solutions, such as crowdfunding, to make ends meet. YAs experience financial stressors that may be more severe than those of middle-aged or older adult patients. OBJECTIVES: This article explores how YAs use GoFundMe® to financially support themselves during cancer treatment. METHODS: For this retrospective descriptive mixed-methods study, 50 campaigns met inclusion criteria. The research team extracted data manually and by using Python. Team members conducted descriptive analyses and qualitative coding. FINDINGS: GoFundMe recipients were mostly female, aged in their late 20s, and diagnosed with breast, brain, colorectal, or other cancer or leukemia. Campaign goals ranged from $2,488 to $1,243,900, and about half met or exceeded their goal (n = 23). Campaigns requested money to cover direct and indirect costs of treatment as well as daily expenses, experimental care, complementary and alternative medicine, scientifically unproven treatments, travel experiences for the patient/family to make memories, and end-of-life or funeral expenses.