"Hi, I'm Christine. I worked as a teacher in the public schools for over 40 years. Recently, I took up substitute teaching for extra income in retirement. But recently I had to re-retire after cutting down to 20 hours per week. I was getting breathless during the school day, when I normally wouldn't. That was a red flag for my health. But I didn't pay attention to it."

"On a Friday night in the early summer, I noticed pain in my left breast. On Sunday, it got so bad I had to visit the emergency department. They ran tests and told me I had acute lymphoblastic leukemia, or ALL. Chemo treatment started immediately. Unfortunately, with ALL there is no true remission, because the cancer is in your bone marrow and blood and circulates through your body 24/7. Flare-ups can happen at any time. I'll need weekly blood tests and chemo infusions for the rest of my life."

"The University of Colorado Hospital in Aurora is saving my life. But it's a considerable drive from my home. Retirement benefits and public school pension, plus my savings, enabled me to retire comfortably. However, I didn't foresee this expense of having to drive to treatment two or three times a week. I don't think anyone could have."

"Mercy Medical Angels sent me gas cards so I could pay for gas. I drive a hybrid so each gas card lasts me a month. My mental wellness has seriously improved thanks to their gift. Money is such a worry with a cancer diagnosis, and knowing we had one less tank of gas to purchase is a great burden gone. Thank you, Mercy Medical Angels, thank you!"



~Christine