This is Leanne.  She is my best friend.  She was recently diagnosed with colon cancer and is fighting for her life.

Leanne is a beautiful soul.  She is giving, caring, hard-working, honest and a genuinely good person.  

As if the diagnosis wasn't devastating enough, our healtlhcare system really adds insult to injury.

She is a hard-working, self-employed gal.  Unfortunately, in this country that's not enough when you are seriously ill.  Firstly, you're sick for awhile and have to take unpaid time off work.  Then there are the scans, labs, other tests and doctor's appointments.  Here in LA, it can take hours to go 20 miles, so that's a lot of unpaid time off work.  Then there are all the follow-up calls that can only be made during business hours.  More unpaid time off work.  Then more tests, more doctors and more paperwork.  Don't even get me started on insurance red tape.  Soon she will have surgery and will not be able to work for at least a month.  Then there will be all the follow-ups, scans, labs and chemo and/or radiation after that.  Yet more unpaid time off.

Imagine what it would be like if you had to take a minimum of six months off with no money coming in.

My friends, I donate to every cause that crosses my Facebook.

So please help me help Leanne.  Every penny will go directly to her uncovered medical expenses (she does have insurance, but it won't cover everything), and make sure she doesn't lose her home or car or any other necessities while she fights for her life.

Every little bit helps, of course.

Thank you so very much.

Ruth