When it comes to breast health, the need for persistency is often something you hear from the patient.
This time, it was the patient’s husband.
Mildred “Millie” Perez was told she had cancer in January 2012. By November, she was told she was cancer free. Then December hit.
Her husband Mario, a longtime process technician in a chemical plant, became a victim of a “reduction in workforce” and found himself without a job and without insurance.
What he did have was persistence.
“I knew how important her follow up was,” said the father of three with three grandchildren. “I called every agency I could. I called phone number after phone number. And every door was closed. Finally, while helping my mother who lives near The Rose and is battling cancer herself, I just walked in and told them our story.”
As soon as Cathie Sublett, The Rose’s Nurse Supervisor, heard what Perez had endured thus far she knew it was a familiar story. Sublett, along with The Rose’s Patient Navigators, focus on finding resources for patients who often find they “make too much money” for some programs and simply aren’t aware of others.
“Our state offers funding through the Cancer Prevention and Research Institute of Texas (CPRIT) and the Breast and Cervical Cancer Services (BCCS) program at no or low-cost to eligible women,” said Sublett. “However, when someone has just heard they have cancer, or are dealing with the aftermath of losing their insurance because of a layoff, the paperwork can be overwhelming. I’m so pleased to be part of an organization like The Rose where we can work with couples like Millie and Mario, connect them to BCCS or our own Empower Her® program and relieve some of their stress.”
Since the inception of the BCCS program in 1991, nearly 200,000 women across the state have received breast cancer screenings. Annually, The Rose helps navigate close to 9,000 uninsured women to the resources and treatment they need.
As the Perezes waited for the much needed peace of mind that the follow up mammogram would bring, they were eager to share their gratitude of finding The Rose.
And Mario was eager to brag on his wife, who had just shared that her love arts and crafts made for a nice distraction during her cancer ordeal.
“She’s a great decorator,” he proudly announced. And then through a few tears, he added, “Anything she can put her hands on, she makes beautiful.”
The two shared a gentle hug, knowing that persistence had finally paid off.
