Deena’s Story: From a Lucky Ticket to Lifesaving Care

A scratch-off lottery ticket—and a bargain with God—just might have saved Deena McClure’s life. “I knew I had a lump in my breast,” she says, “but I didn’t have insurance, so I ignored it. I never had a mammogram.” That is, until the day she dropped one of her daughters off at school. “I stopped at a gas station and bought a dollar scratch-off card. I knew I couldn’t ignore the lump any longer, so I bargained with God, ‘If I win, I’ll get it checked out.’”

Sure enough, Deena won a dollar with that ticket, but her real reward was immediate medical attention. Deena called her doctor and got in the same day. After feeling the lump, her medical team called an imaging center in Fort Wayne directly. Although it was a drive from her home in Wells County, Deena made the trip that day, thanks to a cancellation in the schedule. “They fit me in. It was literally four-and-a-half hours from the time my doctor confirmed the lump until I was getting a biopsy of not one lump, but two.” And 16 days later, Deena had a mastectomy. “It’s a good thing you came in,” said her surgeon. “You had three tumors.”

The cancer had spread to Deena’s lymph nodes, but 14 months of treatment, including chemotherapy, have given her new life—and new hope. That was in the fall of 2010. In April 2011, Deena’s newborn grandson came to live with her and her husband. His arrival gave her even more reason to fight.

She found an ally in Dr. Kollipara, her oncologist at FWMOH. “I remember my very first visit to Dr. Kollipara’s exam room. He walked in and had already taken the time to study my records. I felt as if he knew me. He knew all the details. And he called me by name.” It was that kind of care that marked Deena’s entire experience with FWMOH. “The ladies at the front office are my friends. The lab people are so compassionate and good at what they do. I feel so blessed.”

Even more remarkable to Deena was the fact that she received state-of-the-art care, regardless of her ability to pay. “No one ever mentioned that I didn’t have insurance, and no one ever asked me, ‘How are you going to pay for this?’” In fact, FWMOH found a solution that Deena didn’t even know existed. “The office team found a program through the State of Indiana for women fighting breast and cervical cancer. I qualified,” says Deena. “All of my treatments were covered.”

Today, Deena is a firm believer—and strong advocate—for preventative mammograms. As for her personal experience with cancer? Deena can only say this: “It’s not a journey I would have signed up for, but—thanks to FWMOH—it’s been a journey with no regrets.”