Ridley-Tree Cancer Center

Patient Assistance

“My friendships and family have been critical to the success of this fund,” said Art, who also credits the endowment model’s long-term vision, ensuring support for patients not just today, but for generations to come, because, as he puts it simply, “I’m afraid this disease is not going away.”

The fund’s impact is both practical and profound. A 48-year-old self-employed photographer and lifelong Santa Barbara resident, diagnosed with breast cancer in 2024, was forced to stop working with no access to State Disability benefits. Support from the Merovick Fund helped her continue treatment — support she still relies on today. An 82-year-old grandfather, living on Social Security while navigating metastatic melanoma since 2005, was awarded charity care in 2023, allowing him to continue rising-cost treatments without sacrificing his basic needs.

For Merovick — who lost a daughter to cancer, watched his father treated at the Cancer Center, and has been a patient himself for two years — the mission is deeply personal. His vision now is to help the fund grow beyond its current circle of supporters, broadening its base to become a cause embraced by the wider Santa Barbara community. The need, he says, will only continue to grow — and so must the response.

“Our hope is that this fund allows people to give all their energies and spirit toward their treatment, and not be burdened with the financial albatross that comes with it.”