Medicine for Sabrina

What I'm raising money for:
Sabrina has stage 3 leukemia, and her insurance coverage has recently been revoked due to an error in change of address. She can petition for a review, but this may take up to 60 days. That is two months without any insurance coverage.

How the money will be used:
More than anything, Sabrina needs to have access to medications. The money will be used towards paying for her medicine during this unfortunate time. 

A message from Sabrina:
Cancer. Leukemia. CBCs. Malignancies. Lymphocytes.

As a 22 year old, I speak these words like a veteran oncologist. It’s like I’ve learned a new language. Since being diagnosed with leukemia during my freshmen year of college, I’d say I’ve become fairly fluent.

Having cancer has been a journey. It’s been hard, frustrating, and a million other adjectives that can’t quite convey how I feel. It’s something I’ve tried to hide from employers, new friends, and fellow students, but in the last three years of fighting it, I’ve found a lot of freedom in being honest about it.

I want you to know that I don’t consider myself a victim.

I’m 22 years old, and I plan on outliving many people. And I say this with certainty, because I wasn’t supposed to last this long.  On more than 3 different occasions, doctors have been certain that I was going to die. I was supposed to die in June of 2014, when West Nile virus attacked my system. A few months later I was supposed to die when Rheumatic fever tried to attack my heart. Different treatments broke my body down and killed my immune system. In August of 2016, after my spleen started rupturing, I woke up to my doctors discussing who was going to contact my family to tell them I wasn’t going to make it.

People say I’m unlucky, but I think I’m one of the luckiest people in the world, because I’m still here.

By the grace of God, I’ve lived & I couldn’t have done it without my friends, family, loved ones, and even strangers.

Right now, my journey is facing a different mountain, and I’m asking for your support.

As most of you have heard by now, I was formally told that as a 22 year old, stage 3 cancer patient, I was being denied health coverage. My insurance company claims I violated a WAC by not updating my address. After a “he said, she said” fair hearing, they stood their ground and I was still denied coverage. My last hope is to demand a review of this decision.

And just like that, I have to wait about 60 days for an answer. That’s 60 days without doctor visits, blood draws, and medicine. I only have 20 days left of a medicine that keeps me functioning, able to work and work well, and protects my immune system.

My medicine is $8000/month. As a 22 year old college student, I cannot afford it. As I wait for the outcome of the review, and contact state reps, the HCA, and insurance commissioner, I am running the risk of running out of medicine. An anonymous doctor gave me $3000, so I only need $5000 more to get me through next month. Please share this, and please give if you can. Please educate yourself, and demand more from insurance companies. When people speak of health coverage, please think of me, and your loved ones. Demand more, and let’s be better.