6 July 2023
WICHITA, Kan. (KSNW) – Bills can rack up during cancer treatment. It can be overwhelming for patients without insurance.
It’s a hard truth Wichitan Desiree Anton found out in January when the wife and mother of five became a cancer patient.
“I had no symptoms,” Desiree said. “Forty-four years old, not even at the age to get screened yet.”
After removing her colon, her results came back as stage four colon cancer, making chemotherapy necessary.
Courtesy: Desiree Anton
Courtesy: Desiree Anton
“Found out that my husband was laid off from his job. So along with that job went our insurance,” Desiree said.
Those benefits come with a price tag her family could not afford.
“If you want to continue your insurance, it’s $1,400 a month for you and your family; that’s a huge burden,” said Wyatt Sheeder, Executive Director of the Wichita Cancer Foundation (WCF).
Desiree turned to the Wichita Cancer Foundation. The non-profit covers health insurance premiums for people battling cancer.
“We take that off their plate, so it’s one less thing to worry about,” Sheeder explained.
“If someone were to lose their insurance, they would lose all of the life-saving care that they need to fight their battle from chemotherapy to physical therapy to various appointments,” said Allison Probert, program operations assistant for WCF.
The premiums are a relief for Desiree, “I just cried and just thanked God because this is life-changing. This is giving me that assurance that I’m going to be able to hold my grandson, and I’m going to be able to watch my kids get married and pursue their dreams,” Desiree said.
She’s a fighter with faith.
“God has met us every single step of the way, and what I keep saying is, it’s God’s testimony. I’m just along for the ride,” she said.
Assistance from the Wichita Cancer Foundation is available for all Kansas counties. So far this year, the foundation has given out more than $244,000 in assistance.
To learn more about the foundation, click here.