I had such a surreal experience last week that it begs for me to write about it. In the midst of all the political back and forth, arguments “on the hill” and in my own home, and debates about health care in this nation, I became witness to two separate cases that amazed me.

Though I still find it difficult to believe, my friend Jenny was diagnosed with lung cancer two weeks ago. She has never smoked and it is the kind of cancer that grows very slowly. In fact, it is likely that it had been there a while. In fact, it is a miracle that it was found at all.

In those last two weeks, a student sat in my office, burst into tears, and told me that her own daughter, Camille, had been diagnosed with cervical cancer. This daughter is not even thirty and has two young children of her own. This student cried as she became terrified that she would soon be burying her own child.

Jenny has insurance and she happens to be caucasian. Better than that, she works in an all girls school that happens to be the school of choice for many doctors in our community. Once they found out what Jenny was going through, they leapt into action. Phone calls were made, test results were sped up, oncologists rearranged schedules, and Jenny had been diagnosed, had a PET scan, met with a surgeon and an oncologist, and had surgery scheduled and completed - all within a week. I stood by her watching doctors do things I had never seen before, like coming into the waiting room to tell her the good news of the PET scan so that she “wouldn’t have to worry for one more minute.” Jenny received what we described as “the royal treatment.” And, I’m incredibly thankful for it. She is cancer free only two weeks later, the tumor has been removed, and she is at home recovering.

Camille, on the other hand, does not have insurance and happens to be African-American. She has been diagnosed with a deadly disease, the same one that killed her grandmother and great-aunt. But, she doesn’t know any of the doctors and she doesn’t have any money. She can’t get tests, schedule surgery, or receive any treatment whatsoever until she pays up front.

You must see why I describe this as surreal. I’m incredibly thankful for Jenny’s life. I’m thankful that she has been such a great mentor to young women that now those parents are reaching out to help her. But, while I will forever remain thankful, I can’t help but wonder what is wrong in our nation when these things are clearly possible, but only happen for a select few. It isn’t right. And, it isn’t fair. Christ may even call it unjust.

I don’t know what will happen to Camille. I fear that she will continue to grow sicker and sicker while trying to raise funds to pay for the treatment she needs. I fear her children will have to watch her suffer and die. In contrast, Jenny will be back at the park with her little ones soon. What makes the difference? And, are we going to settle for this?

Advertisement