Fort Worth Nonprofit Guides 8,000+ Cancer Patients Yearly

When Taunya Campos discovered she had Stage 4 breast cancer in December 2019, she had nowhere to turn. The Alvarado native and her husband were both self-employed and uninsured, leaving her facing a devastating diagnosis with no clear path forward.

Then she found the Careity Foundation. After just one phone call, the Fort Worth nonprofit stepped in and guided her through every step, from her initial biopsy to the infusions she still receives every three weeks.

"In tiny little corners of the darkness, there's always a light," Campos told a room of 80 people at the Will Rogers Memorial Center during the foundation's third annual survivor luncheon. "And that is where Careity is."

Founded in 2003, Careity provides direct patient services to over 8,000 people each year. The nonprofit offers mammograms, biopsies, CT lung scans, and access to oncology masseuses and nurse navigators for patients who slip through the cracks of the healthcare system.

The February celebration brought together cancer survivors and their families from counties across North Texas. Entertainment included former Miss Texas Gloria Gilbert-Barron performing ventriloquism and ex-Radio City Rockette Merrill West, creating an atmosphere of joy rather than somber reflection.

For Campos, who now calls herself a cancer "thriver" rather than survivor, the event represented something essential that treatment alone can't provide. "When you have cancer, everything slows down," she explained. "With this kind of thing, you realize, 'Oh, I'm not alone.'"

The foundation's partnership with the Fort Worth Stock Show & Rodeo has grown over five years. Their Pink Night at the Rodeo promotes breast cancer awareness, while their year-round presence connects them with patients who desperately need help.

The Ripple Effect

Careity's impact extends far beyond the patients they serve directly. Campos now makes it her mission to sit next to someone new during each infusion appointment, lifting their spirits and sharing resources that saved her life.

Longtime volunteer Leon Henry sees the gratitude firsthand. "There's always somebody that will walk up and say, 'You saved my brother, you saved my sister, you saved my family, or you saved me,'" he shared.

For 89-year-old Fort Worth resident Marty Leonard, who has watched her friend Beverly Branch grow the organization since the 1980s, the foundation represents what happens when caring translates into action. The luncheon wasn't just about looking back at battles fought, it was about celebrating the community that makes survival possible.

Every person who walks through Careity's doors finds not just medical support, but proof that they matter.