The Power of Social Media

I usually don't write two posts in one day, but I felt inspired.  Today's events in the Pacific are absolutely devastating and of course, those affected are in my thoughts.  Today is March 11th, known to many music fans as 311 Day, a day that symbolizes positivity and love.  Today reminded me that something beautiful can come out of a day filled with despair.

One thing that I really love about the internet is that it makes the world a smaller place.  When Dave and I first got engaged, I discovered the wonderful world of Weddingbee.  This incredible community of women welcomed me into their sisterhood, and I now consider many of them friends.  Recently, a member of this community received some terrible news.  Layla, of Wish Fulfillment Every Day, was diagnosed with 1A Adenocarcinoma, early stage cervical cancer.  She was uninsured and needed surgery...fast.  When she announced this news, the internet rallied around her.  Twitter and blogs everywhere were bursting with support.  Within hours, thousands of dollars poured in.  Operation Layla was a success, solely due to viral support.

I've donated to this cause, and I hope you will too after reading about this fellow blogger and fellow Atlantan: 

One month after her 30th birthday, Layla was diagnosed with early stage cervical cancer (1A Adenocarcinoma). She was extraordinarily lucky that it was caught early, and had a simple surgery to remove the cancerous cells.

Three years later, Layla was in horrible pain that affected nearly every aspect of her life. Temporarily uninsured due to a job change, she paid out of pocket last October to go to the doctor and make sure the cancer had not returned. Thankfully, it had not. However, her doctor believes that she has pelvic adhesions and Endometriosis due to the previous surgery, but it can’t be diagnosed until an additional surgery (laparoscopy) is performed. The doctor also found out Layla has cervical stenosis, which basically means her cervix has completely shut down due to the scar tissue from the previous surgery. These issues make her miserable most of the time. He stated that if she wanted to have children one day, she would have to have intrauterine insemination.

The doctor wanted to schedule surgery as soon as the insurance at her new job went into effect. Her company fired her the day her insurance became valid, ten days before Christmas, plainly stating that it was because of her health issues.

Fortunately, she got on her husband’s insurance, which went into effect February 1st. As soon as she could, Layla scheduled surgery for March 22nd. Then her insurance company dropped a bomb: because she went to the doctor (even as a self-pay patient) within a three month period prior to her enrollment date, they were considering her health issues to be a pre-existing condition, and would not insure any doctor visits, medication, or surgery for 388 days.

When you are in near constant pain and can’t work, 388 days is a long time to wait. The sooner Layla can have this surgery, the sooner she can return to work (hopefully with a nicer company!) and start living her life again. Her doctor has been nice enough to work out a deal with her if she can pay as a cash patient: he decreased the amount of her surgery to $4,000, and the cost of the anesthesia to $500, with additional fees for biopsies of removed tissue to be determined.

The problem is, Layla is unemployed due to this, has used her savings to pay for living expenses and medical bills, and has been denied loans for the surgery because of her unemployment status. She does not have close family, so she can’t ask them for help. Surgery is scheduled for March 22nd, and Layla and her husband are still trying to secure a loan through several banks.

Here’s how you can help:

• Keep up with the Operation Layla blog, follow on Twitter, and RT Layla’s story! #OperationLayla
• Donate! Every little bit is appreciated and helps ease the burden of medical expenses for Layla.
  You can donate though the Operation Layla blog here.
• Several people have donated items they are selling in their personal  stores, with the proceeds directly going to Operation Layla. Check out the following Etsy stores:
• Jars of Love  
• Dill Pickle Picnic 
• Thoughtfully Designed
• Additional fundraisers, including an online bake sale, are in the works.  Stay tuned!

Layla recently vlogged very candidly about this topic.  I strongly recommend checking it out here.  Her realness is refreshing, and absolutely moving.