Lifelong RN w/Cancer Lost Health Benefits
Donation protected
For the last 30 years, Nelly Yap has provided care to our community as a Registered Nurse. We have worked side-by-side with her in the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) at St. Louise Regional Hospital since 2014. Now our nurse co-worker and union sister needs our help!
Nelly was working the night shift in ICU last April when back pain sent her to the ER. She had a CT scan that revealed a large mass in her right lung. Further imaging showed metastatic tumors in her brain and bones. She began chemotherapy right away and underwent surgery to reduce the size of her brain tumor—but despite these treatments, her cancer continued to spread.
With her speech, vision and mobility all impaired by the progress of her disease, Nelly had no choice but to take a leave of absence from work as she continued receiving chemotherapy.
While Nelly was on medical leave, Verity Health Systems, which owned our hospital and several others, declared bankruptcy. St. Louise and O’Connor hospitals were eventually purchased by the County of Santa Clara, but Nelly and other RNs on medical leave were left in an ugly limbo. They were neither hired by the County nor retained on leave by Verity.
For Nelly, this means her health and life insurance benefits were abruptly cancelled effective March 1, 2019. After decades of service to the community, our beloved colleague was left with no means to continue to afford her chemotherapy treatments and no life insurance to help her family cover her final expenses.
Before Nelly got sick she was known in our department for her unflagging energy and her willingness to help out by working extra hours. She laughed easily and always had a smile for her co-workers and patients. We are outraged that she has been treated with such callous disregard by our former employer Verity.
In March, Nelly flew to the Philippines to be with her extended family, including her brothers, sisters, daughters and husband. We recently learned that her condition has worsened and she has been admitted to a hospital overseas.
As members of California Nurses Association/National Nurses United (CNA/NNU), we are part of an organization that is fighting to guarantee health care for everyone through improved and expanded Medicare for All. Nelly’s story is a painful reminder of what’s at stake as long as profit-driven insurance companies continue to control access to health care.
We are asking for your help to show Nelly her life’s work has not been in vain and that we have her back. There are 3 ways to help:
1) Make a donation to help Nelly’s family pay her medical bills and final expenses. (All proceeds will go directly to Nelly's family.)
2) Contact Verity's Vice President of HR Steve Sharrer at [phone redacted] or [email redacted] to demand they reinstate the health and life insurance benefits Nelly earned before cancer made her too sick to work.
3) Share Nelly’s story with your friends, family, and social networks! Encourage them to join the movement to pass Medicare for All today!
Nelly was working the night shift in ICU last April when back pain sent her to the ER. She had a CT scan that revealed a large mass in her right lung. Further imaging showed metastatic tumors in her brain and bones. She began chemotherapy right away and underwent surgery to reduce the size of her brain tumor—but despite these treatments, her cancer continued to spread.
With her speech, vision and mobility all impaired by the progress of her disease, Nelly had no choice but to take a leave of absence from work as she continued receiving chemotherapy.
While Nelly was on medical leave, Verity Health Systems, which owned our hospital and several others, declared bankruptcy. St. Louise and O’Connor hospitals were eventually purchased by the County of Santa Clara, but Nelly and other RNs on medical leave were left in an ugly limbo. They were neither hired by the County nor retained on leave by Verity.
For Nelly, this means her health and life insurance benefits were abruptly cancelled effective March 1, 2019. After decades of service to the community, our beloved colleague was left with no means to continue to afford her chemotherapy treatments and no life insurance to help her family cover her final expenses.
Before Nelly got sick she was known in our department for her unflagging energy and her willingness to help out by working extra hours. She laughed easily and always had a smile for her co-workers and patients. We are outraged that she has been treated with such callous disregard by our former employer Verity.
In March, Nelly flew to the Philippines to be with her extended family, including her brothers, sisters, daughters and husband. We recently learned that her condition has worsened and she has been admitted to a hospital overseas.
As members of California Nurses Association/National Nurses United (CNA/NNU), we are part of an organization that is fighting to guarantee health care for everyone through improved and expanded Medicare for All. Nelly’s story is a painful reminder of what’s at stake as long as profit-driven insurance companies continue to control access to health care.
We are asking for your help to show Nelly her life’s work has not been in vain and that we have her back. There are 3 ways to help:
1) Make a donation to help Nelly’s family pay her medical bills and final expenses. (All proceeds will go directly to Nelly's family.)
2) Contact Verity's Vice President of HR Steve Sharrer at [phone redacted] or [email redacted] to demand they reinstate the health and life insurance benefits Nelly earned before cancer made her too sick to work.
3) Share Nelly’s story with your friends, family, and social networks! Encourage them to join the movement to pass Medicare for All today!
Fundraising team: Team St. Louise Regional ICU (2)
Sherly Mathew
Organizer
Gilroy, CA
Nestor Nelly Yap
Beneficiary
Pam Miller Bogie
Team member
