Health

(WCCO) Amie Redmond, 25, is a vivacious young hair stylist working at Todaze Hair in Blaine. However, she may as well be a symbol in the national debate over health care reform.

"Back when I was going through chemo before, when I was 20, I was on insurance and they dropped me while I was going through chemotherapy," Redmond sadly recalled.

As it turns out, the young woman was dropped by two separate health plans, both of them saying Redmond's breast cancer treatment was a "pre-existing condition" that made her ineligible for coverage.

Over the past five years, Redmond has been keeping a journal of her thoughts, her fears and her hopes concerning what she's been through.

While sitting in a chair at the salon, Redmond recalled, "when I got cancer I kept my head up, kept smiling and I got a pink ribbon tattoo."

Flipping through her journal and some loose photographs you can see the usual outward side effects of the chemotherapy treatments. She lost her hair, but it was a small price to pay for her chance at winning the fight.

"I'm a survivor. All these pictures are of survivors," she said.

Her life appeared to be getting back on track. In 2007, she and her boyfriend Bill got married. Three months ago the couple learned that Amie was pregnant.

"Things were looking great," said Redmond.

Unfortunately, a couple weeks later came the news that no survivor ever wants to hear.

"They (doctors) told me my breast cancer is back and it is now in my bones," she said with sadness.

A second bout with cancer means more chemotherapy. Amie began her first round of treatments last Friday. She will need weekly treatments over a course of the next eight weeks. Because she's expecting a child she cannot undergo radiation therapy.

While studies show that getting chemo after the first trimester has been shown only to contribute to early birth and low birth weights, radiation is too risky to the fetus.

"They'll just start with chemo for now and watch me," she said.

Amie's pre-existing condition makes her a high risk for insurance coverage. Finding coverage, if not impossible, is extremely expensive. However, so too are the treatments. Each time she has chemotherapy it will cost around $2,000.

Coverage for those with pre-existing conditions is one of the problems being discussed in the ongoing debate over health care reform.

"In most societies that is a function of insurance," says retired U.S. Senator David Durenberger, a long time proponent of health care reform.

The former republican senator from Minnesota pushed to change the pre-existing rules 18 years ago as part of a universal coverage plan. Durenberger says Amie's situation speaks to the need for universal coverage.

"Will you assure people that once they sign on to your plan you won't dump them either by raising their prices -- prices of premiums -- beyond what you promised in the beginning, or just drop them entirely?" Durenberger asked.

To help pay the couple's mounting medical bills and high cost of her treatments, Redmond's co-workers will host a cut-a-thon at the salon. On Sunday, October 11 between noon and 5 p.m., stylists will give haircuts for a donation to Amie's fund.

"There are about 30 of us and everybody just wants to help as much as possible and do whatever we can and just … it really hit hard for everybody," said Todaze Hair owner, Dawn Graf.

For Redmond, paying for her cancer fight is a worry that ranks just behind winning it.

"Very expensive and no 25-year-old I know of can afford it," Redmond points out.

So with their hearts and their scissors, Redmond's co-workers will do what insurance won't. But at the very least, they'll give her hope for happier days ahead.

"I'm looking forward to that baby -- it's one thing that's keeping me happy and putting a smile on my face," she said.

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