Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: THURSDAY, December 22, 1994 TAG: 9412220112
SECTION: VIRGINIA PAGE: C-3 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: LISA APPLEGATE
DATELINE: LENGTH: Short
Dana Garman, 34, a Craig County school bus driver, died Tuesday after battling breast and liver cancer for more than a year.
Garman, who was featured in a May 28 Roanoke Times & World-News story, found herself caught in an insurance loophole. State legislation passed this year required insurance companies to cover bone marrow transplants for certain breast cancer patients, but her coverage was provided by the state, which was not affected by the legislation.
Wednesday, Frank Garman said that through private donations and fund-raisers, they were able to afford a transplant at the Medical College of Virginia in August.
"We knew that once the cancer spread [to the liver], there was no cure ... but we had high hopes the transplant would at least extend her life by a few years," Garman said.
After the transplant, Frank Garman said, his wife enjoyed mostly good days and had almost finished her children's Christmas shopping.
Dana Garman, who began driving a school bus so she could be with her 6-year-old son, Matt, also leaves behind two daughters: Martha, 3, and Kelly, 2.
"We tried to talk about it a lot with the kids," Frank Garman said. "Matt's doing OK, but he sure was close to his mama."
by CNB