Cancer loves those words. Cancer loves to sneak up on people when they least expect it and throw their world into financial and emotional chaos. And that’s exactly what happened to the Phillips family.
In August 2022, Stephanie Phillips felt a lump, but she didn’t think too much about it. By October, the lump became painful, and she decided she should make an appointment to have it checked. Unfortunately, the first available appointment wasn’t until December, so she had two months to worry about its origin. Her doctor was not at all concerned. Stephanie had no family history and no indicators for breast cancer. Even still, her family doctor scheduled her for a mammogram to “rule out the scary stuff.”
After fighting with insurance to cover a mammogram since Stephanie is under 40 and mammograms are not considered medically necessary, the “scary stuff” was confirmed – Stephanie had triple positive breast cancer (TPBC). TPBC is breast cancer in which cells have higher than typical levels of estrogen receptors, progesterone receptors, and HER2 protein. On January 13, five months after Stephanie first felt her lump, she faced a cancer diagnosis and an uncertain road to recovery.
Stephanie and her husband Christopher were at a loss as to what direction to turn. Stephanie had no short-term or long-term disability, and
they had two young children to care for. Stephanie’s job in a dietary department is physically demanding, and the rigors of her treatment made it impossible for her to continue to work. A resident of Newport in Perry County, Stephanie has a 64-mile roundtrip commute to her employer and her cancer treatments at the West Shore Cancer Center. She and Christopher worked diligently to plan their budget and determine how long they could survive on one income with the added burden of cancer treatments and added medical expenses. A tax refund would help, but beyond that was a lot of uncertainty. When Vickie’s Angel Foundation stepped in, the couple was trying to figure out which credit card would not be paid to cover a car payment.
According to Stephanie, “Vickie’s Angel Foundation was absolutely amazing. Even with both incomes, we were living paycheck to paycheck, and every single bit was needed.” The couple was astounded at how many things are vital for cancer patients – things that you never know about until you are on a cancer journey. “We were buying wigs, special socks for neuropathy, so many expenses that we didn’t anticipate,” she said. Vickie’s Angel Foundation made car payments, and helped with gas and other expenses, allowing Chris’s income to cover the out-of-pocket expenses that came with Stephanie’s medical care.
“Without the help of Vickie’s Angel Foundation, it’s hard to say how bad it would have been. They are truly the ONLY reason our bills got paid.” Chris and Stephanie’s two young children – one who is active in wrestling, soccer, and track, among other things – needed the stability and stress-free home environment that the Foundation’s assistance was able to provide.
By October 15, after five surgeries and five months of chemo treatments, Stephanie was back to work, but she still has a long way to go. She will receive infusions every three weeks until March targeting her hormones until she is cancer free.
Vickie’s Angel Foundation continues to fight for families in Central Pennsylvania by taking away the financial burden of cancer. Help us help families like Chris and Stephanie’s survive the stress of a cancer diagnosis and continue to live their lives without financial worry.