Grosse Pointe Public Library preserves
'Deno's Database' to help cancer patients

A sad event within the Grosse Pointe Public Library’s staff was the impetus for a new resource they hope will help others. “Deno’s Database” will allow individuals with cancer and other illnesses find financial help through private foundations to help fight their diseases. The database was dedicated to and named after Anthony “Deno” Corrado, the now-deceased husband of assistant circulation coordinator Laney Corrado.

The effort began in September 2009, when Deno went to his doctor about a persistent sore throat and left with a diagnosis of squamous cell carcinoma, or vocal cord cancer.

The news came at a particularly difficult time; Deno was out of work, and while they couple had insurance through Laney’s job, money was tight. The Corrados began to search for information, about both the disease and any financial help that might be available for patients like Deno. In the process, they created something for an entire community.

The database continued to grow after the Corrados found what they needed, and is now available for the community, said Vickey Bloom, library director.

“We haven’t tested it on anyone but our own (staff),” said Bloom. “(But) we know there are people who could use the same kind of help.”

Bloom said it’s difficult for people suffering with diseases like cancer to find information on their own. Patients can be so overwhelmed with having to take care of themselves or other responsibilities they just may not have the time.

Deno’s Database provides names of foundations that can help patients by offering financial donations and assistance. All patients have to do is come to the library, sit down with a librarian and tell what their needs are; the researcher will go through the database with the patient, look for a resource, fill out the application and send it along.

“One charity paid our mortgage for one month, another gave us a grant of $400, others gave us monthly gas cards of $50 and a church gave us $600 worth of gas and food cards, which helped keep us afloat,” said Laney. “We took at least two trips per month to U of M Hospital, and sometimes as many as five. Each one was a two-hour, one-way trip from our home, so the gas added up fast. Yet another organization paid $150 for expenses.

“Anyone asking for assistance from a Grosse Pointe Library reference librarian will receive the benefit of all that work,” she added. “It was a blessing to us, and my husband was so happy to know that because of him, Deno's Database would go on to help others in need of direction.”

• Login or register to post comments
• Printer-friendly version
• Send to friend