Uninsured but Not Alone: A Woman’s Gratitude for The Rose

Judy Pareya

Judy Pareya is a breast cancer survivor and dedicated volunteer at The Rose. She joins Dorothy to share her powerful story, emphasizing the life-saving importance of early detection. Judy’s experience underscores the vital role The Rose plays in providing care for uninsured women.

An Afternoon That Changed Her Life

Ana Henriquez

During this conversation, Ana Henriquez discusses the challenges she faced as an uninsured patient, and how The Rose provided invaluable support in guiding her through the complex insurance process. With raw honesty, she dives into emotional toll of losing her hair and the unwavering love and encouragement she received from her husband and family.

Faith, Chemo, and T-Shirts: A Survivor Who Refuses to Whisper

safiya hill

Safiya felt a lump at 36, had no insurance, and almost didn’t know where to turn. Thankfully, a referral brought her to The Rose, where our patient navigation team helped her qualify for breast cancer treatment and got her first appointment at MD Anderson scheduled in just 15 days. Through all of it, our navigators walked alongside her, and her faith, anchored by a prayer her father read her the day she was diagnosed, carried her the rest of the way.

One Woman’s Gratitude: Ginger’s Story of Survival and Service

Ginger Clark

Ginger Clark shares her personal journey battling breast cancer. Despite the challenges, she expresses gratitude and highlights the importance of early detection through regular mammograms. The episode also delves into rural healthcare issues, emphasizing the struggles small hospitals face in providing adequate services. Ginger speaks to Dorothy about healthcare access, particularly for uninsured women, and the complexity of reconstructive surgery decisions.

Community Theater, Breast Cancer, and the Louise McBee Circle of Wreaths

susan mele

Susan has been connected to The Rose since the mid-1980s, when her boss at Texas Commerce Bank handed her a stack of newspaper articles and asked her to learn everything she could about a surgeon named Dr. Dixie Melillo. That assignment turned into a decades-long relationship with The Rose, years of emceeing fundraising style shows, and an unbroken commitment to the mission that continues today. She launched the Louise McBee Circle of Life Circle of Wreaths, an annual wreath auction run entirely by Art Park Players volunteers in honor of her mother. Her message throughout the years is simple, yet profound: everyone carries a light, and even the smallest flame can be the brightest thing in someone’s darkest moment.

“Dying was not an Option,” a Survivor’s Story

linda petticrew

Linda Petticrew is one determined woman. She’s worked hard and many long hours to build a successful career as an Executive Assistant to some of the top CEO’s in the city. But her real strength tenacity was when she faced breast cancer, not once but twice. Diagnosed at a young age, she fought and won her battle and then twenty years later had to fight it again.

Navigating Side Effects, Fear of Recurrence, and Life After Treatment

Felicia kent

A casual night watching sports, a quick self-exam, and a lump that did not belong there. Faced with no insurance and four months of not knowing what to do, Felicia Kent walked into a neighborhood clinic, received a referral to The Rose, and heard the three words that changed everything: you have cancer. In this episode, she talks about choosing a treatment center, using research and strict adherence to medication to blunt chemo side effects, and learning to live with radiation fatigue, lymphedema, neuropathy, and a body that will never be the same. She also shares how faith, a determined daughter, an emotional support dog, and a calling to serve other survivors led her to start a nonprofit, finish her psychology degree, and focus on practical support and early mammograms in the African American community.