A Saskatchewan breast cancer survivor is spreading a message of not only surviving breast cancer but the costs of having it.
Sarah Wright, a 40-year-old Regina woman, had a rare form of ductal carcinoma, resulting in a bilateral mastectomy on May 12, 2022. Afterward, she learned how fast her debt could pile up.
“(From) the unexpected costs post-surgery, which are everything from parking at the hospitals, the unimaginable amount of Band-Aids and hygiene products that you buy. It’s medications not covered by prescription or by your health care company,” she said.
Wright, who does administration for a large employer in Saskatchewan, said she was never one to use many sick days and that her employer has an 80-sum day deductible before one can apply for long-term disability.
“I’m very grateful I have a good health-care plan with my employer. But, you know, $400 is three physio appointments,” she said. “It’s two therapist appointments … it’s three dietitian consultations about how I need to eat for my body now. It’s just been an endless amount of expenses … it just has broken my heart and blown my mind.”
Wright took out two credit cards last year that helped to pay for all the extra monthly expenses. Her husband has a good job, and she said is grateful that she has a home to go to, but she feels the need to offer her voice to those who might fall through the cracks.
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“What a lot of people don’t understand is you can do all of the right things,” said Wright, “but the system just isn’t here to protect you when you need it most.”
For the past two years, Wright says, she dreamt of doing something to help those struggling to pay for all the unexpected costs involved in cancer recovery. She created Cancer Costs Everything Foundation to help others.
“You don’t know to think of what the true costs of cancer are,” Wright said. “I’m very grateful that I had my surgery but what you don’t think of is the immediate interruption in income.”
According to the Cancer Foundation of Saskatchewan, on average, there are 15 new cancer cases diagnosed each day in the province. There were 70,039 cancer patient appointments in Saskatchewan in 2022, and 760 people were diagnosed with breast cancer last year.
For more information, people can check out Wright’s Instagram at @cancer_costs_everything.
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