Padilla and Zohn represent the problems we have in USa Healthcare: Padilla did not pay for her cancer treatment, Zohn is paying for his treatments.
Mexico and the State of Texas paid for Padilla. Zohn has private insurance.
However, ALL insurance policies have loopholes for cancer. You survive cancer with treatment. You get treatment if you are RICH or INSURED... or very poor with connections. If you are insured you have a 50:50 chance that bankruptcy comes NEXT.
Cancer treatment is one of the most expensive examples of what private health insurance DOES NOT FULLY COVER.
Cancer Survivors are frequently Medical Bankruptcies
http://csn.cancer.org/node/148374
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/20201807/
http://www.economist.com/blogs/democracyinamerica/2009/09/cancer_health_insurance_bankru.cfm
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/02/18/health/18cancer.html
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Top contender on America’s Got Talent Barbara Padilla is an inspiration for moms across America.
http://www.examiner.com/x-3958-Atlanta-Northside-Family--Parenting-Examiner~y2009m9d14-Barbara-Padilla-Cancer-gave-me-more-than-it-took-away
Not only is this amazing opera singer blessed with incredible talent, she also has the heart and soul, and determination of a true champion. Diagnosed with Hodgkins Lymphoma, Barbara battled for her life through agonizing rounds of chemotherapy and radiation. She was told that she may never sing again, and faced death on more than one occasion. The sweet songbird of opera and mother of 3-year-old daughter Elizabeth not only stared adversity in the face; she battled it to the bitter end and was ultimately victorious.
Barbara was born in Guadalajara, Mexico where she studied music, acting, and dance. She graduated from the Universidad de Guadalajara as a music instructor and studied voice. She was the section leader and soloist for the State choir of Jalisco. Barbara was diagnosed with Hodgkins Lymphoma and underwent several rounds of chemotherapy and radiation. During this time Barbara was told that she may never be able to sing again as the radiation could harm her vocal chords. She was in treatment for several years and was near death on more than one occasion, but her faith, family and friends helped her through those difficult times.
After traveling to Houston for a consultation with doctors at MD Anderson, Barbara had a chance to audition for the Moores School of Music at the University of Houston. She was awarded a full scholarship where she pleted the Masters Degree program. Her acplishments while at UofH include first place winner in NATS peion in 2001 in the advanced sinemas category. Barbara was a participant in the summer program IIVArts held in Chiari, Italy. She was invited to sing the American and Mexican National Anthems for the sold out, historic soccer game at Reliant Stadium. Barbara has been part of numerous important events with the Philharmonic Orchestra of Jalisco in Guadalajara, Mexico. Barbara now makes her home in Texas where she is married and has a beautiful 3 year old daughter. She hopes to continue her singing and acting career.
The most humbling thing about Barbara Padilla is her introspective look at the disease that nearly defeated her. On tonight’s episode of America’s Got Talent, she looked into the camera and bravely said, “My illness has been one of the biggest blessings of my life because it carved a path that led me to America, led me to meet my husband and to have my daughter.” Barbara’s husband said that he realized what kind of woman his wife was when she said the cancer gave her so much more than it took away.
Barbara Padillo remains the favorite on America’s Got Talent, and earned rave reviews and a standing ovation from all three judges tonight. Pierce Morgan best expressed the feelings of moms across America when he said, “Tonight there are millions of Americans at home watching you, thinking she’s one of us and she’s living our dreams.”
From Moms across America, we wish you the best of luck, Barbara. You are a true inspiration to all.
Voting results from tonight's performances will air tomorrow on WXIA in Atlanta at 9:00 PM. Britain's Got Talent sensation Susan Boyle is scheduled to perform
http://www.barbarapadilla.com
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One of most talented contestants of this year's America's Got Talent is Texas native, singer Barbara Padilla. She has said on the show that she is a cancer survivor, but did not say what kind of cancer she had. According to her website (http://www.barbarapadilla.com/page2.html):
"Barbara was diagnosed with Hodgkin's Lymphoma and underwent several rounds of chemotherapy and radiation. During this time Barbara was told that she may never be able to sing again as the radiation could harm her vocalchords. She was in treatment for several years and was near death onmore than one occasion, but her faith, family and friends helped her through those difficult times."
Hodgkin's Disease (Hodgkin's Lymphoma) is named for the physician who first described the disease- Dr. Thomas Hodgkin. It is a cancer of the immune system, specifically of infection-fighting lymph cells (lymphocytes) found in lymph nodes, spleen, liver and bone marrow. It is most common in two different age groups- 15-40 year-olds,and those over 55 years old. In Hodgkin's Disease, lymphocytes are transformed into much larger cells called Reed-Sternberg cells, which have the ability to divide in an uncontrolled manner, thus spreading throughout the body.
Symptoms of Hodgkin's Disease include:
painless swelling of the lymph nodes, especially in the neck, armpits, or groin
fever and chills
night sweats
weight loss
loss of appetite
itchy skin
Lymph nodes in Hodgkin's Lymphoma Dr. Thomas Hodgkin
As in most other kinds of cancer,treatment and prognosis are related to "staging" of the disease. What this means is how far along is the cancer? Is it localized to one area?Has it spread to local lymph nodes? Can it be found in other, more distant organs? For lymphoma in particular- are there tumor cells in the bone marrow. Treatment usually consists of chemotherapy, radiation therapy or both. Fortunately for patients with Hodgkin's Disease, the prognosis has improved dramatically over the years. Today the survival rate for Hodgkin's lymphoma is generally 90% or higher when the disease is detected during early stages, making it one of the more curable forms of cancer.
Back in May, we reported on another celebrity affected by Hodgkin's Disease, Ethan Zohn, who said that the most frightening aspects of his disease are the medical bills, even though he had what he considered "decent" health insurance:
With his usual good humor, Ethan Zohn addresses what he considers the scariest part of being treated for cancer: Dealing with the avalanche of bills that come with modern healthcare.
In this week's video update, the 2002 Survivor winner explains that two of his chemotherapy treatments add up to nearly $23,000 – and he requires six of them.
"These bills are insane," he says, noting that this financial burden arrives even with the "decent" insurance coverage that he carries.
On April 30, Zohn, 35, was diagnosed with Stage 2 Hodgkin's disease. His chemo treatments began in May.
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Ethan Zohn, the million dollar grand prize winner of Survivor: Africa, has disclosed that after three months of intensive chemotherapy, his cancer has returned.
"I was running up to seven miles [training for the New York Marathon]," the 35-year-old told People. "I was happy, I was going out."
Everything was going well until Aug. 26, when he learned the bad news.
"It was a complete punch in the face," said Zohn, who has shaved off his trademark locks after losing much of his mane during chemo. "I have never been so scared in my life, for my life."
Zohn will now undergo a new treatment, including a stem-cell transplant, to battle the rare form of Hodgkin's disease.
"Then I'm cured," he said, adding, "Whatever things are thrown at you, you've got to battle through with a smile on your face...and the important people in your life around you."
http://www.ezohn.com/
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Originally posted Monday September 14, 2009 07:55 AM EDT
Ethan Zohn
Just last month, for the first time since being diagnosed with a rare form of Hodgkin's disease in April – followed by three months of intense chemotherapy – Ethan Zohn was finally feeling good.
"I was off chemo," he says. "I was running up to seven miles" in preparation for November's New York City Marathon. "I was happy, I was going out. I went up to Boston to see the family and was feeling great."
Then, on Aug. 26, his doctor called with post-chemo test results – and they were not good. "My cancer is back," Zohn, 35, tells PEOPLE. "I have never been so scared in my life, for my life."
"It was a complete punch in the face," says the Survivor: Africa winner, who had been making regular video diaries for PEOPLE.com. (Stay tuned for the latest chapter.) When the bad news hit, Zohn decided to wait until doctors started him on a new course of treatment before sharing the news with family, friends and now the rest of the world.
Family Reaction
"My mom was obviously upset," Zohn says. "My brothers – everyone's upset. They can't believe it's what's happening. But on the flip side, everyone's positive and supportive."
He adds, "You have to think positive. And you have to find the strength, which I will. And you have to rely on other people, which I will."
The chemotherapy Zohn had endured since May left him hairless and plagued by nausea. But it did have some positive effect: The mango-sized tumor in his chest shrunk significantly. "The original mass is pretty well contained," Zohn says.
That's the good news. The bad news showed up on PET and CAT scans: "There was re-growth," Zohn explains. "Two little nodules in a different location … It's quite rare that not only is there re-growth, but that there's re-growth so quickly. I was obviously resistant to the first form of chemotherapy."
Now, doctors have ordered a stem cell transplant aimed, as he puts it, at "hitting the reset button" on his body.
New Treatment
The new treatment – officially called risk-adapted high dose chemoradiotherapy and autologous stem cell transplantation for patients with relapsed and primary Hodgkin's lymphoma – will take place in three stages.
The once-shaggy-haired soccer player just emerged from the first part of stage one: He spent three days in a hospital last week, where he received a combination of chemotherapy drugs referred to as ICE. Since Zohn's immune system was in such a fragile state, his girlfriend, Survivor: The Amazon winner Jenna Morasca, slept in a chair at his bedside each night dressed in a hospital gown, protective mask and rubber gloves.
After three weeks of rest, he'll return to the hospital for a second in-patient ICE treatment that will last four days. Doctors will then harvest healthy stem cells from Zohn's body and freeze them for later use.
"In stage two I will get blasted twice a day for 14 days with a high dose of radiation," Zohn told friends via e-mail last week. "In the final and most difficult stage, I will be admitted to the hospital for 30 days (yes a whole f'ing month), to get my final chemotherapy session to start my stem cell transplant."
Remaining Positive
Zohn says that both his red and white blood cell count will be brought down to zero during the month-long hospital stay – most likely in December – at which time his frozen, healthy stem cells will be reintroduced with the aim of replenishing his body entirely with non-cancerous cells.
"Then I'm cured," he said in his e-mail to friends, showing his usual air of hope and humor. "Easy as 1, 2, 3 … 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9 … 1000 … 1,000,000."
As he has since beginning his battle, Zohn is vowing to remain positive. "Whatever things are thrown at you, you've got to battle through with a smile on your face," he says, "and the important people in your life around you."
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