Cancer Patients Focus on the Fight
Inaugural fund in support of the Fox Cancer Center will reduce cancer warriors’ financial worries.
By Charlotte Tallman
After her doctor told her she had breast cancer, El Pasoan Rosario De Anda had many questions flash through her mind. Every question led back to the most important one: Will I survive?
“With cancer, everything happens so fast,” said De Anda, who was scheduled for surgery just four days after her diagnosis. “I kept thinking I had to be OK so I could watch my teenage son play football and see my daughters get married and have kids. I had to survive.”
The last thing she needed to worry about was the possibility of not receiving life-saving surgery. In addition to the emotional toll of her cancer diagnosis, she also faced the harsh reality of not having health insurance.
“I couldn’t find anyone who would schedule my surgery, and I was terrified. I’d cry because I felt that if I couldn’t have this surgery, I was going to die,” De Anda said. That was more than a decade ago. Fortunately, De Anda found the help she needed at the Breast Care Center at Texas Tech Physicians of El Paso. Today De Anda inspires countless others as a breast cancer survivor. She volunteers as a mentor in the Breast Care Center’s Survivorship Program, helping patients navigate through the physical, psychological and emotional challenges.
In the near future, patients like De Anda who face financial difficulties after a cancer diagnosis will find support and peace of mind thanks to the newly established Cancer Center Patient Fund at Texas Tech Health El Paso. The fund was created with an initial gift of $100,000 gift from a local family in support of the future Steve and Nancy Fox Cancer Center to ease the financial challenges that come with treatment.
In just three months, generous community leaders matched the family’s gift, doubling its impact and empowering others to change the lives of cancer warriors in our Borderplex. When the family heard about the community match, they were impressed with our region’s commitment to providing world-class patient care close to home and were inspired to give a second $100,000 gift. Thanks to this philanthropic spirit, the Cancer Center Patient Fund is off to a fast start, with $300,000 to assist families in the region.
The Fox Cancer Center, made possible with a $25 million investment from El Pasoans Steve and Nancy Fox and their family, and a $65 million appropriation from the Texas Legislature, will be the first comprehensive cancer center to serve West Texas and our Borderplex region. It will open doors to world-class cancer care, elevate life-saving research and create opportunities for trials of new cancer treatments.
The patient fund will help Borderplex patients by reducing some financial worries related to their care. The fund will help cover treatment costs, co-pays, transportation, food, and ancillary services, like mental health support.
Gifts to the Steve and Nancy Fox Cancer Center and Cancer Center Patient Fund help ensure patients receive the care they need to win the fight against cancer right here at home, just like De Anda did.
“Support is the most important part of cancer treatment,” De Anda said. “It’s so important for people to get the cancer therapy they need. Thanks to Texas Tech Health El Paso and everyone involved, we have that treatment right here.”
“I kept thinking I had to be OK so I could watch my teenage son play football and see my daughters get married and have kids. I had to survive.”
- Rosario De Anda
Sanchez got to know the BEST staff, including senior outreach worker Bertha Macias, who provided her with invaluable assistance and support during her battle against breast cancer.
“Bertha would call me every other day asking me how I was doing, if I needed anything or just to cry and talk,” Sanchez said.
Her treatment at Texas Tech Physicians of El Paso included a lumpectomy and radiation therapy, but her lymph nodes were clear, and the cancer was successfully removed.
Today, Sanchez encourages everyone to prioritize regular screenings and self-examinations to improve their chances of overcoming breast cancer.
“If I hadn’t gone through the screening, my cancer would’ve grown. And if it keeps growing, it’s going to be a harder fight,” Sanchez said. “I cried a lot when I was diagnosed. I felt nervous and overwhelmed. But you always get up. Get up and fight. We can all get through this.”
Get up and fight
Gloria Sanchez’s story began when her mother received a devastating diagnosis of brain cancer in 2021. Sanchez put her own health on hold to care for her mother.
Tragically, her mother passed away later that year, leaving Sanchez emotionally shattered.
As she grieved, Sanchez’s world took another turn. Now conscious of the importance of preventive health care, she made contact with Texas Tech Health El Paso’s BEST cancer prevention program for a breast cancer screening. The screening led to a diagnosis of stage 1 breast cancer in January 2022. Having recently lost her mother, and having no close relatives in El Paso, she felt overwhelmed and alone.
Gloria Sanchez was surprised by BEST senior outreach worker Bertha Macias during a visit to the Texas Tech Health El Paso campus on her birthday. Macias gave Sanchez emotional support and helped her throughout her treatment.