American parents have all sorts of dreams for their children. Parents of children with cancer only have one.

When my son, King, was diagnosed with leukemia in 2016 at only 2 years old, my heart shattered, and my world was upended. Because my wife pays for health insurance through her employer, I quit my job to be his caregiver. This is a full-time job, and involves managing doctor appointments, hospital visits and side effects from his years of daily chemotherapy and steroid treatments.

Even with health coverage, the financial costs of his care are enormous. The nonstop bills and growing debt are a disease in themselves. The financial pain is worse for families like mine who earn just too much to qualify for government assistance. My wife’s wages were garnished to pay off debt. The stress aggravated our autoimmune conditions.

We would file for bankruptcy if we could afford the legal costs. Among U.S. adults who’ve had health care debt and cancer in their family, polling indicates about 1 in 4 have experienced a bankruptcy declaration or lost their home. Around two-thirds have seen reduced spending on household basics.