Ely is my co-worker, she is always helping others and now she needs help herself. She has allowed me to share her story below. Please help, Ely and her young daughters will greatly appreciate it.
" Being a single mother is hard, and finding out you have cancer at only 33 years of age, didn't make things better. Two years ago, I felt a lump on my breast about the size of a marble. At that moment I knew it was not something normal, I seeked several doctors opinions, only to be told by each and everyone of them "it's normal, nothing is wrong" I trusted these doctors, bieng that it was more than one with the same response. Fast forward 2 years, September 2016 I felt my lump growing, this time it seemed like I had a lime inside my breast, big size difference. I seeked the opinion of a different provider; this doctor finally agreed something was not right. October 2016-December 2016, I began Ultrasounds, mammograms, needle aspirations and biopsies in order to determine what this lump in my breast was. January 26, 2017, the worse words you can hear, "You have breast cancer, stage 3a." These words flooded my eyes with tears, my heart with ache and every last bit of me was terrified. I was angry, scared, sadden. I am in this fight not only for my life, but because I have so much to live for, and for my two daughters who need me the most, and I need them. They remind me of why I must continue to fight, and come out as a warrior.
It has been quiet the struggle to get the treatment, exams, and surgeries, due to insurance. After 5 months, I was finally given a surgery date. Due to having to take time off work, and only being employed for 6 months, I do not qualify for paid leave, and disability has yet to be approved. Treatments will begin to get expensive. I am not one to ask for help, I always try to make ends meet, but this time I must swallow that pride and ask for your help, not for me but mainly for my daughters, because they need me.
Thank you for reading my story, any help is a big help.
God bless you!!"
Ely Denis
" Being a single mother is hard, and finding out you have cancer at only 33 years of age, didn't make things better. Two years ago, I felt a lump on my breast about the size of a marble. At that moment I knew it was not something normal, I seeked several doctors opinions, only to be told by each and everyone of them "it's normal, nothing is wrong" I trusted these doctors, bieng that it was more than one with the same response. Fast forward 2 years, September 2016 I felt my lump growing, this time it seemed like I had a lime inside my breast, big size difference. I seeked the opinion of a different provider; this doctor finally agreed something was not right. October 2016-December 2016, I began Ultrasounds, mammograms, needle aspirations and biopsies in order to determine what this lump in my breast was. January 26, 2017, the worse words you can hear, "You have breast cancer, stage 3a." These words flooded my eyes with tears, my heart with ache and every last bit of me was terrified. I was angry, scared, sadden. I am in this fight not only for my life, but because I have so much to live for, and for my two daughters who need me the most, and I need them. They remind me of why I must continue to fight, and come out as a warrior.
It has been quiet the struggle to get the treatment, exams, and surgeries, due to insurance. After 5 months, I was finally given a surgery date. Due to having to take time off work, and only being employed for 6 months, I do not qualify for paid leave, and disability has yet to be approved. Treatments will begin to get expensive. I am not one to ask for help, I always try to make ends meet, but this time I must swallow that pride and ask for your help, not for me but mainly for my daughters, because they need me.
Thank you for reading my story, any help is a big help.
God bless you!!"
Ely Denis
Organizer and beneficiary
Yolanda Figueroa
Organizer
Los Angeles, CA
Ely A. Denis Arellano
Beneficiary