The Wichita Cancer Foundation is a nonprofit organization based in Wichita, Kansas that provides financial assistance to local cancer patients. Our foundation is completely independent, entirely donation-based, and mostly volunteer-run.
The Wichita Cancer Foundation’s mission is to provide financial assistance to cancer patients whose care is initiated or received in the state of Kansas in the form of insurance premium payments. Our vision is to ensure cancer patients receive the care they need while minimizing their financial stress.
The Wichita Cancer Foundation came to fruition when Dr. Dakhil partnered with his attorney daughter, Laura Monahan. With Laura’s corporate law background and Dr. Dakhil’s unmatched knowledge of the oncology world, they believed they could combine their expertise to make a true difference. The two sat down to discuss their vision for the organization, and by the end of that meeting, they had a detailed plan to make it happen. The two quickly recruited a founding Board of Directors, consisting of 13 community leaders.
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Wyatt joined the Wichita Cancer Foundation with a professional background as a clinician, manager, and innovative director in healthcare and has a proven track record of assessing needs and delivering results in both corporate and nonprofit sectors. He came to Wichita to establish the first hospice music therapy program in the region after years of working as a board-certified music therapist (MT-BC) in Chicago, Illinois. He also developed the program’s clinical foundation and promotional building blocks, which reached over 1,500 patients and families across 16 Kansas counties.
Wyatt Sheeder is an Iowa native, graduating from Wartburg College in Waverly, Iowa, with a bachelor’s degree in Music Education and Music Therapy. The loss of Wyatt’s mother at a young age due to kidney cancer inspired much of his work as he eventually launched a career in healthcare administration. Witnessing first-hand the impact that access to care and assistance can have, Wyatt continuously grew passionate about the cause.
Wyatt lives in Wichita with his husband, Danny Jimenez, owner of DJS2 Hair. In his spare time, he enjoys traveling, watching music theater, going to concerts, crafting, gardening, and singing with the Wichita Chamber Chorale.
The Wichita Cancer Foundation Care Committee is comprised of four or more independent volunteers who review applications on behalf of the organization. The committee determines which patients will receive insurance premium assistance and the duration of the assistance.
(left to right, back row): George Laham, Patricia Hourani, Christopher Arellano, Laura Dakhil Monahan, Dana Hensley, Stephanie Bergmann, David Murfin
(left to right, front row): Dr. Aziz Maksoud, Dr. Shaker Dakhil (Co-Founder), Ziad Jabara, Steve Peterson
Not pictured: Dr. Hana Razek, Dr. Sam Kouri, Don Henry
Dr. Shaker Dakhil, an oncologist for almost four decades in Wichita, Kansas, had a dream to lessen the financial burden imposed on cancer patients after seeing countless patients lose their insurance when they needed it the most. Thus, he founded and organized the Wichita Cancer Foundation in 2005.
The Wichita Cancer Foundation came to fruition when Dr. Dakhil partnered with his attorney daughter, Laura Monahan. With Laura’s corporate law background and Dr. Dakhil’s unmatched knowledge of the oncology world, they believed they could combine their expertise to make a true difference. The two sat down to discuss their vision for the organization, and by the end of that meeting, they had a detailed plan to make it happen. The two quickly recruited a founding Board of Directors, consisting of 13 community leaders.
The Board of Directors launched the Wichita Cancer Foundation publicly in 2015 and started accepting applications to assist local patients in need. For the next five years, the foundation was able to help 50 patients whose care was initiated or received in Sedgwick County each year.
In 2017, the Wichita Cancer Foundation announced the addition of an Advisory Board, a group of community volunteers providing support, knowledge, and advice to our Board of Directors. This growth propelled the Wichita Cancer Foundation to hire its first Executive Director in 2018. By 2019, the organization announced it would assist patients whose care is initiated or received throughout the state of Kansas.
In 2020, WCF welcomed its current Executive Director. Ascension donated office space at 1035 N Emporia in early 2021. This space allows us to serve applicants and recipients and engage with volunteers.
In March 2021, Wichita Cancer Foundation added the role of Program and Operations Assistant to the staff. In 2022, WCF helped a record number of Kansans from 29 counties.
If you have unanswered questions about the Wichita Cancer Foundation, please contact us online or call us at (316) 928-2273. We look forward to speaking with you!
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