A mobile app that turns asking for help during cancer treatment into a simple, low-guilt exchange, so patients can request what they need and stay motivated in their own self-care. Live and in active development.
The Idea
When someone is going through cancer treatment, the hardest part of getting help is usually just asking for it. Friends and family genuinely want to help, but "let me know if you need anything" almost never turns into actual help, and patients start to feel like a burden just for bringing it up. The Cancer Card reframes that whole exchange. Asking becomes a light, structured action instead of an awkward one.
How It Works
A patient (the "card holder") can request help three ways: assign a task directly to someone, post it to an open list anyone in their circle can pick up, or let helpers offer first. A simple points system runs underneath all of it, patients earn points by taking care of themselves and spend them requesting help, which keeps the tone playful instead of heavy. Everything updates in real time, and it runs as both a web app and a native iOS app from a single codebase.
Where It Stands
Honest status: The Cancer Card is live as an early build and still in active development, not a finished, marketed product. The foundation is in place: accounts, the three request modes, the points economy, real-time updates. We're refining it based on how it actually feels to use, before pushing for a wider launch.
What's Next
- A focused usability and polish pass on the core flows
- Revisiting the experience with input from patients and caregivers
- Exploring paths to the app stores and partnerships with cancer-support nonprofits and hospital patient-experience programs
Technologies Used
Next.js, React, TypeScript, SQLite, Auth.js, Capacitor (native iOS)