They might have to choose between daily living expenses or potentially life-saving treatment, and often patients are forced to choose the former and not receive the medicines they need.
Bridge of Wings
Services
"I cannot do all the good that the world needs. But the world needs all the good I can do."
Named after the 1998 flight around the world taken by Nikki Mitchell and NMF president Rhonda Miles, Bridge of Wings is a direct patient services program that provides patients in need with free transportation, house cleanings, meals and many more services tailored to their specific needs.
Pancreatic cancer treatments are intensive and often require a patient to travel long distances to receive the care they need. When patients are unable to work during these critical times, a family can see their income halved.
While working to provide gas cards to patients and their families, NMF realized many unmet needs went far beyond travel expenses. When a patient’s home is clean and there’s food on the table, they can spend their energy focusing on the care they need.
The program was expanded to provide holiday meals for patients and their families, groceries, house cleanings, Ubers and taxi rides to treatment, prescription refills and much more. Nikki Mitchell Foundation makes it easy for patients and their health care team to apply for these services multiple times throughout their treatment.
Nikki Mitchell Foundation actively monitors participation in Bridge of Wings by tracking the number of patients enrolled, the number of states reached, and the number of miles driven from the gas cards.
2016
NMF was able to expand the Bridge of Wings direct patient services program, and created an awareness video in conjunction with Jamey Johnson.
2017
2017 focused on growing the golf tournament, with NMF almost quadrupling the funds raised from the previous year.
2018
At the beginning of 2018, NMF reached and helped 76 cancer patients in 12 states.
2019
347 disbursements were made to 80 patients totaling close to $80,000 in assistance.
Thanksgiving Gifts
NMF recognizes that the stress surrounding health can steal joy from the holiday season. We take extra care during that time to provide meals for patients’ families so they’re not burdened with the cost or task of preparing dinner. In 2019, The Bridge of Wings Thanksgiving program fed over 1,000 patients and families in need.