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By Kristen Consillio
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Hawaii (KITV) – Since 44-year-old Rui Sasaki was diagnosed with breast cancer in late 2019, she has said she has run nearly $ 20,000 in medical bills alone.
She has been on leave since March 2020 because of the pandemic and has been forced to use credit cards and take out a loan to pay her bills.
“It’s like a double punch trying to figure out how to pay for everything and deal with the emotional of everything that comes with the disease and what happens,” she said. “It’s harmful.
Cancer patients’ financial hardship can be enormous. For this reason, Breast Cancer Hawaii has opened the Care Closet – short for Community Access to Reusable Equipment.
The idea is to help cancer patients with personal items they may not easily have or can afford, such as wigs, hats, pillows, and specialized clothing.
Now that she has finished her own chemotherapy, radiation, and double mastectomy – and knows firsthand the financial hardships cancer patients face – she is donating her own hats, custom-made button-down shirts, and other supplies to other patients in need .
Breast Cancer Hawaii President and Co-Founder Joanne Hayashi was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2015 at the age of 33. She heads the Care Closet.
“You see the hair loss, you can see if someone is losing weight or gaining weight, but that financial toll is really a hidden part that people don’t know is there,†she said. “This adds to the physical toll, the emotional toll of facing your own mortality, and then the harsh treatments that make you sick.”
Hayashi said cancer treatment can last up to a year, with many patients taking time off from work – often unpaid.
“The average outlay they spent was almost $ 900 on various devices.”
The special thing about the Care Closet is that it stays open because women are passionate about helping other women. And what they do know is that the closet is never full because there is always a need.
To support the cause, go to brustkrebshawaii.org/carecloset.
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