RALEIGH, N.C. — In 2022, cancer was the second highest cause of death in North Carolina, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Lung cancer was the leading cause of cancer death, although breast cancer is the most diagnosed cancer in women in the state.
What You Need To Know
- Breast cancer is the most common cancer diagnosis for women in N.C., according to the CDC
- An estimated 1/6 of those diagnosed will not make it through treatment every year
- The Pretty In Pink Foundation helps finance under-insured and uninsured breast cancer patient treatment
- Last year, the nonprofit helped over 350 women in the state pay for their treatment
Priscilla Hicks has always been active. She has shared her love for movement with others as a gym teacher, swim coach and college athlete.
“I was a collegiate swimmer. Two years at South Carolina and two years at N.C. state,” Hicks said.
But on Good Friday of 2020, her passion of exercise was put on hold when she received a breast cancer diagnosis. The diagnoses came before she was even old enough for a mammogram.
“I was a 'triple positive breast cancer,' and I believe I was stage 2B. So it was decently large,” Hicks said.
At the time of her diagnosis, she was a single mother to her 3-year-old son and had lowered her insurance coverage to cut costs since she had previously been healthy.
Every year in North Carolina, around 6,000 women will be diagnosed with breast cancer, with about 1,000 of them not making it through treatment, according to NCDHHS.
“I was not about to let this beat me. Like, no way. I think anyone who knows me will tell you that if you give me a challenge, it's kind of like, all right, game on, let's go,” Hicks said.
Despite fighting for her life, Hicks says she wanted to have her son be as blissfully unaware as possible and she tried to minimize the repercussions on him.
Through her neighbor, she found the Pretty In Pink Foundation, a nonprofit that serves North Carolinians diagnosed with breast cancer who are under-insured or uninsured.
“We pay for chemo administration, surgery, radiation therapy, office co-pays and health insurance premiums for people who are struggling to afford it,” said Anna Sims, the director of patient services and grant management. “We make payments directly to medical providers to ensure that care is being received, so they don't have to worry about making the payments themselves,” Sims said.
Sims, who has been with the Pretty In Pink Foundation for almost five years, has seen an increase in the number of those with "champion" stories they have been able to help. Last year, the foundation's 20th year, they helped the most "champions" ever.
More than 350 patients with champion stories received direct financial assistance across the state and over 130 breast cancer patients were served through their Beyond the Ribbon program. Program organizers sent comfort totes to breast cancer patients across the state.
“Typically, we grant someone with Medicaid about $500. An uninsured patient, we can give them up to $3,500. We negotiate their bills down to the lowest possible rate before we make a payment to ensure that we're stretching their funding as far as possible,” Sims said.
Applications are accepted through hospital staff, or patients can go online and apply.
Sims is able to learn about their champions through profiles submitted on their applications. Since Helene hit the western half of North Carolina and many lost their homes or place of employment, the Pretty In Pink Foundation has seen more applicants from this area and expects to see this trend continue.
“Breast cancer doesn't stop in the face of a natural disaster. They're scrambling to figure out how they're gonna continue to pay their chemo bills, continue to get their radiation treatment,” Sims said.
Sims said the Pretty In Pink Foundation is the only organization in North Carolina with the primary goal of paying for under-insured and uninsured patients medical treatment.
It gives "champions" like Hicks more time with her son and finding new passions like pickleball. It's a group that not only helped Hicks move her body again but showed out in pink to support her.
“It's just a wonderful community. It's a great way to socialize and get exercise and, and have fun,” Hicks said.
Hicks had chemotherapy every three weeks for six rounds and had a bilateral mastectomy.
“When you get not so great news, it really is just kind of just a little placeholder in your life, that you'll get through and then you can enjoy the rest of your life,” Hicks said.
The Pretty In Pink Foundation hopes to raise $1 million this year in funding.
