Crystal Elliott is trying to help others who are battling Ovarian Cancer pay for their treatment.
Crystal Elliott said finding out she had ovarian cancer was a life-changer. It was in January, a few days after major surgery to remove painful tumors from her ovaries. Doctors told her she would need months of chemotherapy treatments to make sure the aggressive form of the disease was banished from her body. Soon after, Elliott began to get big bills for portions of her care not covered by private health insurance. More than once, she had to pay $800 for a $4,000 injection needed as part of her chemotherapy regimen. While she was able to pay her bills, Elliott said she started thinking about all the people who might not be able to afford the high price of beating cancer.
Health statistics show that about 22,000 women a year are diagnosed with ovarian cancer, typically in those older than 60. Nearly 15,000 women die from the disease each year, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. And as the U.S. economy continues to slump, Elliott said, she hates the thought of any woman having to choose between paying for pricey cancer drugs or feeding her family. Even as she continues her own exhausting treatments, Elliott recently gathered a group of friends and colleagues together to create a board of directors for the nonprofit foundation they named Teal Life. The color teal has been used nationally in recent years to signify ovarian cancer.
For about two years, Elliott has owned and operated Tessie Lee's Café in the building that houses local IRS offices on Montlimar Drive in Mobile. She tries to go in to work most mornings, she said, to help bake fresh cookies and cupcakes for customers. In recent months, Elliott sold T-shirts in the lobby of the building, collecting about $2,800 to cover start-up costs of the foundation.Besides helping women who need assistance paying for cancer treatments, Elliott also wants men and women to know more about the early signs of the disease. Symptoms of ovarian cancer include persistent bloating, feeling full even when eating little, and abdominal pain.
"They call it the silent killer because most of the symptoms resemble something else," Elliott said. "It affects the way your bowels move and causes stomach pains."
Next month, Teal Life will have its first fundraiser on July 22 from 5 to 9 p.m. at the OK Bicycle Shop on Dauphin Street in downtown Mobile. Live music, food and a silent auction will be featured, she said. Tickets are $30 and can be purchased by calling 251-343-6595 or visiting the website teallifefoundation.org after July 1. The café Elliott opened two years ago was named for her deceased grandmother, who encouraged her to follow her dreams. "God's plan just worked it all out," Elliott said. "It's totally changed my life to be able to help others." Elliot, 41, said her doctors are hopeful about her prognosis. When the Teal Life website is up and running in July, she also hopes to include information there to assist others with similar health issues.
"People who have friends that are diagnosed with any type of cancer," Elliott said, "send them a text message, see how they are doing, take them some food or just take them out of the house when they feel better. That's been the most helpful thing."
Article courtesy of: http://blog.al.com/live/2012/06/ovarian_cancer_patient_wants_t.html
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