SPOKANE — Cancer patients who travel to Spokane for treatment will soon have a dedicated place to stay during their care, thanks to a three-year fundraising effort by a local nonprofit organization.
Cancer Can’t, a Spokane-based organization, has been working to build the Genova House, a 20-unit facility located near Kendall Yards. The housing will serve cancer patients who must travel to the city for treatment.
“When you live three hours away and you’re driving that and just the physical effects that radiation has on you to then even just travel, it’s not realistic. And patients just can’t do it,” said Becky Van Keulen, president of Cancer Can’t. “And often times patients will choose not to have treatment because that is such a burden.”
The organization has reached its original fundraising goal of $6 million, achieved in part through a $750,000 donation from the Genova Foundation.
“It was really easy to say, yeah, we’re in. Let’s see where this goes, and we’re cheering you on.” said Andre Lewis CEO of the Genova Family Foundation. “So, we’re hoping more people get involved. More businesses are saying we want to rally too. And at the foundation, our tagline is generosity ignites change.”
However, Cancer Can’t now say it needs approximately $1 million in additional funding to complete the project.
The facility aims to remove barriers that prevent patients from accessing necessary cancer treatment. Many patients who live hours away from Spokane face the difficult choice between enduring exhausting daily travel or forgoing treatment altogether due to the physical and logistical challenges.
Cancer Can’t hopes to break ground on the Genova House in March, pending the completion of its fundraising efforts. The project represents a significant step forward in supporting cancer patients throughout the region who require specialized treatment available in Spokane.
COPYRIGHT 2025 BY KXLY. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. THIS MATERIAL MAY NOT BE PUBLISHED, BROADCAST, REWRITTEN OR REDISTRIBUTED.
