<prompt> Human: My sweet GF was just diagnosed with cancer, and Im trying to figure out things for her financially. We dont live together, in fact Im currently living in another state. She came to this country over 13 years ago and doesnt have family here. She has a college degree, and works in medical field but surprisingly her Company doesnt offer STD as a benefit. She will need to go through 18 weeks of chemo, medication, surgery, more radiation, more and more meds.. while trying to keep her job, so she can pay her bills and have insurance to fight this cancer!! How do people cope with this financially? I cant believe we live in a country where if you get cancer, you have almost zero safety net. I need advice for her, I want to make sure she is never in a position to be homeless or have no money.  <response>: First, I am very sorry to hear that you two are going through this. There are some things that I would recommend.1. She should speak with her HR department and let them know the situation, and ask what options are available to her.2. Although she may not get paid if she needs to take time off, if her company is greater than 50 employees, she should be entitled to FMLA, which will enable her up to 12 weeks of unpaid time due to medical issues. This will enable her to protect her job and insurance.3. Does her company have LTD? If so, she may be able to utilize that benefit after the qualification period typically 12 weeksThis is a terrible situation, and unfortunately there are not many avenues through which she can maintain a steady income while fighting the cancer. If she has retirement savings, she may qualify for hardship withdrawals; though it is never advisable to withdraw from retirement funds, this may be a situation in which retirement funds can provide a temporary source of income to prevent her from going into financial ruin due to something completely out of her control. It is something to consider. 