Malou

Malou came to the Love from Margot Foundation in early fall of 2012 while undergoing treatment for stage 2 breast cancer which she had been battling for over a year. She had recently lost her job and was also taking care of her elderly mother. Malou had learned about the foundation through the Women’s Cancer Resource Center in Oakland and has since been provided with a total of $4,000 in financial support from the Love from Margot Foundation. Malou has since returned to work.

My name is Malou. I was born in the Democratic Republic of Congo and came to the United States in 1989. Since my arrival here I have worked hard to make a life for myself, my mother and my daughter. I always worked at least two jobs, so I could support and raise my daughter since I was a single parent. In 2001 my mother came from the Congo to live with me; I have been her sole support since that time. For the past four years I have worked for Delta Airlines as a customer service representative and have had good health insurance. Unfortunately in July of 2011, I was diagnosed with stage II breast cancer. I had surgery, chemotherapy, and radiation treatments. This aggressive treatment has lasted over one year and had to go on medical leave from work. I was emotionally, physically and financially drained. I felt so hopeless and helpless during my treatments.

Because I was on leave from work, my health care benefits increased from $65.00 a month to $650.00 a month for my Cobra payments. In addition to that, there were many charges for my deductibles and co-payments which I couldn’t afford. I was in despair because I was afraid that I would lose my insurance as I couldn’t afford to pay for it from the money I got from State Disability.

I was referred to the Love from Margot Foundation, and I decided to write them a letter. I was not expecting much because I had reached out to other cancer organizations and received very limited help. So imagine how pleasantly surprised I was when I received a phone call from the Love from Margot Foundation. I set up an appointment to meet Mr. Murphy at his office. He was such a lovely man who told me the story of how he lost his beautiful wife to breast cancer years ago. That’s where his passion for helping others in the same situation come from. He was so thoughtful and caring that he wrote me a check to cover my health insurance and other medical services. He kindly stated that he would also pay my Cobra payments for two more months until I was able to return to work. I got tears in my eyes because I was not expecting that.

If the Love from Margot Foundation did not step in, my insurance would have been canceled, and I would not have been able to complete my treatment, and I would not have had a successful recovery. I will still need follow-up visits with my doctor and surgery to remove a chemo device as well as regular monitoring to make sure I’m in good health. The Love from Margo Foundation is a great organization to donate to because it truly lives up to its name. It is an organization filled with love, warmth, kindness and compassion. I am truly blessed to have encountered such a genuine and authentic organization that helped deliver me financially and gave me support in a time of darkness.

I am forever grateful.

Malou Hennessey