Mainstreet HQ, Downers Grove –Mainstreet Good Neighbor Award winners demonstrate astonishing dedication to continually improving their communities though philanthropic efforts. Each winner receives a personalized charitable contribution to an organization they volunteer with. This year’s first place winner for the 2024 Good Neighbor Award is Cindy Eich.
Named in memory of our daughter, Kendall, the mission of the Kendall Nicole Eich Foundation is to share Kendall's spirit of compassion and generosity with brain cancer patients and their families. Kendall was diagnosed with glioblastoma at 30 years old. This type of stage 4 brain cancer offers an average survival of eight months and an average cost to patient families exceeding $100,000, making it one of the most expensive diagnoses, in addition to offering a most grim prognosis. Medical co-pays for appointments, tests, surgeries, treatment and prescriptions, on top of time away from work can quickly add a significant financial toll at a time of enormous emotional and physical strain.
Our goal is to provide patient families a measure of financial relief, allowing patients to focus more fully on their physical and emotional wellbeing. Our assistance can also be used to help a patient pursue a goal or enjoy a memory making experience.
We are passionate about this charity because our family knows the devastating physical, emotional and financial impacts of this diagnosis. We want each patient and family to know they are not alone. They are part of a team - our team.
The Kendall Nicole Eich Foundation has assisted three families in the past 12 months and we are preparing to welcome three more patients to our "love goes further" family. In addition to assisting glioblastoma patients, we offer our support to patients of any of the over 100 types of brain cancer.
One of our recipient families is that of a Mainstreet Broker Associate. Her husband was diagnosed with glioblastoma in 2023 and sadly, he passed away in June of this year.
A second family we assisted is that of a sweet girl who was diagnosed with Medulloblastoma at 10-years old. Her mom's FMLA ran out six months after her daughter's diagnosis. When her employer could no longer hold her position, Mom lost not only her much needed income but medical insurance for herself and her two other children. Currently, her daughter continues treatment while working to regain her abilities to walk, speak and improve fine and gross motor skills. There are some costs to this diagnosis that can never be repaid.
The third family heartbreakingly lost their loved one shortly after our support was given. We remain in close contact, providing the family with referrals to other organizations which we hope are helpful to them as they attempt to recover from their loss.
We remain hopeful. Strides are made everyday and new treatments and procedures hold promise for improved outcomes. We believe wholeheartedly in the power of connection. Our patient families are not just connected to us but we connect them with other valuable resources in the brain cancer community.
Kendall was undeterred by her cancer diagnosis. She was relentlessly positive, never losing her ability to find and share joy on her most difficult days. Today, we are relentless in our desire to help others. While working to maintain our real estate business, serving our clients in a caring and professional way, we are committed to caring for families in this meaningful new way.
We were embarrassed to ask someone to nominate us. We are not embarrassed though, to advance our foundation, in hopes of securing funding to help more deserving families.
Kendall left us with a beautiful quote saying, "No matter how far we go, our love goes further.”
I hope you will visit www.lovegoesfurther.org to learn more about how the Kendall Nicole Eich Foundation is working to connect with people, far and wide, to advance our mission.