My name is Danielle. I am a Registered Nurse because I love caring for others and I feel so strongly that everyone deserves the Best Quality of care that can be provided regardless of financial situation. Two of my brothers were murdered on the streets of Baltimore and one of them laid in Shock Trauma for 2 weeks and it took extremely long for an ambulance to get him there when he was only less than 2 miles from the hospital. That experience and being at his bedside daily is what REALLY let me know that Nursing was my calling. I gave birth to a son who was stillborn when I was only 17 years old and then gave birth to a beautiful healthy baby girl at the age of 18; my Miracle Baby. Due to the fact that I had several miscarriages after that and was never given a reason as to why any of my babies died; I ended up adopting my little cousin when she was a baby and she’s now 14. So, I have 2 beautiful daughters; however I prayed to God and tried to get pregnant again finally in 2018 because I couldn’t shake that motherly feel of carrying my own baby again and giving birth because that was the happiest 9 mos and 25 hour labor of my life. This past October during my fertility journey, I was found to have Endometrial Cancer and had to have 3 surgeries; including a total hysterectomy to make sure that the very aggressive tumor I had was fully removed. I’m now receiving Chemotherapy and will soon be starting Radiation so my chances of EVER carrying and giving birth to another child with my DNA are gone forever. I cry almost every day and especially when I see babies and baby clothes and just children and families in general. My husband decided he couldn’t handle the diagnosis and situation I guess, so after my second surgery he left my girls and I and moved out of state. I’ve been struggling being a single mother fighting Cancer and still having to provide a home for my girls, buy prescriptions, medical supplies, etc. all alone. So, this battle has been physical, mental and definitely emotional. My job canceled my health insurance and I can’t afford COBRA rates on a Short Term Disability income; which runs out soon and I have no Long Term option so I was left with medical bills and paying for medications. I missed Chemotherapy cycles due to the insurance issue because Oncology wouldn’t approve me for their Financial Assistance program and Medicaid initially denied me, then after I appealed they approved me as of February 1, 2019 only to be canceling me as of March 1, 2019 and instructed me to reapply which takes them another 30-45 days to process; canceling for something that was their mistake and I even provided them proof of all of my compliance. I pleaded to the Health and Human Services worker in Texas and explained my diagnosis, my treatment plan and circumstances and even the fact that until my diagnosis I worked for a living, had a career and paid many taxes for a benefit that should now be available to me because I’ve been stricken with Cancer and besides God who is able to help me when I need it? What did my money really pay for? I said a lot but I said all of this to tell my story and explain that yes I’m asking for help but even if I don’t get any I hope that my story can be a testimony for someone and/or help others to keep pushing because I’m never giving up this fight against Cancer and that it can possibly receive recognition as to just how unfair the healthcare industry truly is and how unjust the Medicaid and Health and Human Services Commission truly are to people who are deemed “Middle Class” or just working people making above minimum wage when illness and/or Emergency strikes because many of us are living check to check and don’t have rich family members or friends to go to for help. Instead I was a Wife, a Mother, a Sister, an Aunt, a Granddaughter, a Friend and a very caring and compassionate Nurse with a huge heart and I gave my ALL always to help as many people as I could; even before myself but then Cancer struck......now I’m fighting for my life and to get my life back! I’m so used to being in control of my life that asking for help and having to depend on so many others just adds extra stress and if it weren’t for my girls I may have given up by now. If you can find it in your heart to now help me and my girls any assistance is appreciated and God knows and sees us who help and have True Compassion for others. ❤️ Now, in the midst of fighting my Cancer battle and all these hurdles my girls and I are facing more tragedy due to the loss of my beautiful 94 year old Grandmother. She was such a beautiful soul and helped raise me and she taught me how to be a strong woman and mother. Her life is a legacy and a testimony within itself. My life will never be the same without her in it. My heart is broken