FAQ PATH

PATH, which stands for “Patient Access To Help,” is a platform that was created to make it easy for patients to ASK for help and make it easy for people to GIVE.  It combines the simplicity of a wedding registry with the personalized needs of a patient and a financial tool, into an easy-to-use platform.

Patients use the PATH Support Registry^TM as they would any other “registry”. Patients create a list of all items that they need help with (both financial and non-financial help) and post those items on the platform so that everyone who wants to help them has visibility to what the patient needs.  

Families, friends, and colleagues that are invited by the patient to a private care circle on the PATH Support Registry, no longer have to guess how they can help, and have options and flexibility in the ways they can provide support. 

Anyone can join the PATH Support Registry and have an opportunity to donate directly to patients in need at hamptonproton.wittforever.com. Every patient whose registry is public has been verified as a real patient by Hampton University Proton Cancer Institute, ensuring that donors can give with confidence. The PATH Support Registry also provides transparency on what each request is for and facilitates easy transfer of funds to patients. 

Also, non-profits and providers can identify and refer patients that they believe can benefit from the PATH Support Registry.

While most patients need help, the fear of asking for help usually arises when a patient asks a specific person to do something for them.  They don’t want to be a burden or an imposition to the person they are asking, so it is not the asking itself that is the issue, it is the asking a specific person that is the problem.  

The PATH platform breaks this dynamic by enabling a patient to ask for the help they need without asking any specific person.  Patients can put their asks and needs out to everyone, invite people that want to help them to see what they need help with, and then give the people that want to help the opportunity to decide how much they would like to help.  

By not asking a specific person to do something for them, but yet giving people who want to help the visibility to help, the PATH platform takes the fear out of asking.  

The PATH Support Registry is the name for the Registry (on the PATH Platform) that a patient creates listing their asks to get the help they need.

We recognize that patients need both financial (e.g. help with rent, groceries, medication, etc.) and non-financial (e.g. picking up children from daycare, going for a walk, talking, etc.) help.  Our platform allows the patient to ask for both types of help.  Nothing is too trivial or insignificant to ask for.  

A patient, with stage 3 anal cancer, who wanted $20 to go get a haircut, but was embarrassed to ask his friends for money. He felt that asking for money for a haircut when he was dealing with cancer, would not be correct.  What he did not realize is that there were many people in his support network who were happy to give him the $20 as they realized that mental health was as important to a patient as the treatment itself.

No. There are asks that a patient will only want certain people they know to help them with. The platform allows the patient to specify which group of people see which asks.

The confidential platform allows the patient to determine who they want to invite to support them as they go through treatment. Who you invite to support you, and what you want them to see, is 100% dependent on the patient.

There are a lot of people who are either survivors and have dealt with what you are dealing with, or they have been supporters of patients that are going through what you are going through.  Most people want to help others in need.  The problem has been that they don’t know what patients want help with, because patients won’t tell them.

The PATH platform gives them visibility into what patients need (at a very micro-level) which makes it easier for them to give.

Most of the other sites are focused on helping the caregiver who is supporting the patient.  As such they are focused on the needs of the caregiver and the clinician and not necessarily the needs of the patient.  

The PATH platform puts the patient at the center of everything we do.  We recognize that patients’ needs are different from those of the people that care for them or people who support them.  We wanted to give the patient a voice to ask for what THEY needed to help them get through their patient journey.

Yes. The platform has functionality for the patient to send a personalized thank you note to anyone who supports them. 

Yes. Patients can receive financial support from people outside of the United States when the donor’s credit card accepts international transactions. All transactions are processed in USD.

Donations that are made directly to patients are not tax deductible for the Donors. Donations that are made to The Hampton Roads Proton Beam Therapy at Hampton University LLC Fund (a 501(c)3) may be tax deductible. Consult your tax advisor.

Please email us at path@hamptonproton.org

Yes.

Not at this time but it is something we are working on for the near future.

Here are some tips that have helped patients:  

1.     Invite people you know to join your care circle.  The more care circle members you have, the more likely your registry requests will be claimed.  Give them the OPPORTUNITY to help you.

2.     Don’t only put high dollar requests in as a single registry item. The lower the dollar amount, or the more options, the more likely your registry item will be claimed.

3.     Use the description field to explain what you need help with in more detail.  People connect to the “why”.

Anyone can donate. Please go to path.hamptonproton.org to donate to a verified patient in need.

Please email us at path@hamptonproton.org

A patient can add a profile picture. We currently do not have the ability to journal.  That is something we will consider in the future.

It takes 2-3 business days for funds to be transferred to your account, and then you can use your digital or physical card to make purchases. You can also add your card to your digital wallet for convenience.

PATH does not charge a fee for use of the platform and provides an opportunity for donors to make a donation to offset transaction processing costs.

We prioritize security, transparency, and trust to ensure that every contribution reaches its intended recipient securely and efficiently. WiTT partners with Highnote, a leading financial technology provider, to handle all transaction processing and securely hold user donations. Highnote is a fully regulated financial services provider that adheres to strict compliance and security standards, ensuring that funds are managed safely and transparently.

For patients who are receiving payments through Federal or State Programs including but not limited to SSI, Medicaid, Medi-cal, Food stamps, Section 8 and HUD housing please be advised that some of these programs have limitations and restrictions that limit, or do not allow monetary donations through fundraising.  We advise you to contact the government program to see how support received on this, and any other platform, affects your eligibility criteria for certain government programs.

If you lost your card, contact WiTT immediately to cancel your card and protect your account. You can do this by logging into the PATH platform at https://hamptonproton.org/path and locking your card in the Card Activity page anytime day or night. Alternatively, you can reach us during business hours at 1-800-550-1678 or support@wittforever.com.

Log into the PATH app at https://hamptonproton.org/path and the ATM Locator will show all ATMs in your area you can use for no fee.

Yes, you may transfer money you receive to your existing bank account. Simply log into the PATH app and add your bank information to conduct a transfer.

We don’t want you to lose access to your funds! However, if your account remains inactive for 12 months, it will be closed, and any remaining balance will be forfeited. To keep your account active, simply use your card within a year. Let us know if you need any help!