Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: SATURDAY, March 23, 1991 TAG: 9103230218
SECTION: VIRGINIA PAGE: A-4 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: MARK MORRISON STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: LENGTH: Medium
"Everybody has just done so much already," she said. "All I need now is for people to pray that I make it through this OK."
Smusz is the Botetourt County woman who needs a costly and controversial bone-marrow transplant that could save her from breast cancer.
She begins the treatment today at Duke University Medical Center in Durham, N.C., nearly four months after her story made headlines across Virginia.
In December, Smusz was told that her health insurance company, Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Virginia, would not cover the $160,000 cost of the transplant.
Blue Cross said the treatment was still "investigational" and had not been studied enough.
And with no insurance, Duke refused to treat Smusz unless she came up with a $96,000 deposit.
That was $126,000 ago.
The money was raised through donations after reports of her plight appeared in the media from Roanoke to Norfolk and elsewhere across the state.
Smusz, 33, said she never dreamed the response would be so generous. "I just want to thank people for all the donations to give me a second chance at life. I don't feel like I've ever publicly thanked people enough," she said.
All that stood in her way was the availability of a bed on Duke's bone-marrow transplant unit, which has a long waiting list.
Smusz now expects to spend from six to eight weeks there, more if there are complications. She said she will undergo about 10 days of tests and intensive chemotherapy before the actual transplant.
"I'm nervous and happy at the same time. I'm just glad to get this going finally," she said. "I think I'm going to do well."
Smusz spent Friday afternoon at the movies with her husband, Frank, 33, a maintenance supervisor for Botetourt County, and their children, Brian, 5, and Kevin, 2. They went to see "Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles II."
by CNB