NJ Woman Battling Cancer Seeks Help From CBS 3
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) -- It's a race against time for a South Jersey woman battling an aggressive cancer. When her insurance company denied a last chance treatment, her family reached out to 3 On Your Side.
Medical Reporter Stephanie Stahl has her story.
Forty-year-old Tracy Shendock is on a mission to save her life in Texas, leaving behind her family in Atco, New Jersey.
"It scares me. It really scares me," said Kate Shendock, Tracy's daughter.
"It's been hard, but you just have to get through it," said Alex Shendock, Tracy's son.
Tracy's been sick, suffering with chronic pain for 12 years, and was finally diagnosed with Hodgkin's Lymphoma last year.
"The mean tumor that we call Igor for the children, Evil Igor, just kept grumbling, getting a little bigger, a little bigger," said Tracy.
Tracy had gone through every grueling treatment available, nothing worked. Doctors said her last hope was an experimental therapy at MD Anderson in Houston, which is world renowned for unique cancer treatments.
But the insurance company wouldn't pay for treatment because Tracy's HMO plan does not cover out-of-state doctors.
"I would ask 'what do we do? Do you just tell somebody they're going to die? And they said 'we're sorry, but you don't have out of network benefits.' So that's how they left it," said Mark Shendock, Tracy's husband.
Over the next few weeks, Mark and Tracy appealed the decision.
After being told three times the treatment wouldn't be covered, another appeal was scheduled to be heard, but the family was worried.
The cost for the family to pay for it themselves would be around half a million dollars. They started a fundraising drive, and called CBS 3.
We called the insurance company and started asking questions. Then, within days, the treatment was tentatively approved, pending some paperwork.
The insurance company says the treatment was ultimately approved because it wasn't available through an in-network provider in New Jersey.
"When CBS 3 got involved, it did appear to move things along at a much quicker pace," said Mark.
But there was a last minute glitch. Hours before the treatment was supposed to start, the family says MD Anderson told them there were still problems with the insurance, even though it had been approved.
"She called me crying. Said they have us, they put us on hold," said Mark about the conversation he had with Tracy.
Doctors said time was quickly running out. The family was desperate, again. Even the kids got wrapped up in the coverage issue.
"Please pay for this. It's my mother's life," said Alex.
We got back on the phone and within hours, the family says, everything was fixed.
"You just stepped in. You got this coverage for us, and we're able to start these treatments. And it's really wonderful," said Tracy.
The Shendocks' insurance company says that's not true. It says the appeal process was already underway and that CBS 3's involvement had no impact on its decision, or in speeding up the process.
The Shendock family hopes this new treatment shrinks the tumors, so Tracy can ultimately have a bone marrow transplant. A match, which usually takes years to find, has already been identified.
Reported By: Stephanie Stahl, CBS 3
