Alice Crisci, a Redondo Beach resident who was diagnosed with breast cancer at 31, is hoping to ensure young cancer patients won't have to make the same excruciating choices she did four years ago.
Crisci, who started a nonprofit in the wake of her ordeal, will be in Sacramento next week pushing legislation, AB 428, that would extend health insurance coverage to all California residents to preserve their fertility prior to undergoing cancer treatment.
Roughly 70,000 young people are diagnosed with various forms of cancer throughout the United States each year, according to Crisci. The chemicals involved in treating the illness can destroy reproductive ability for these people.
Prior to treatment, Crisci opted to freeze some of her eggs, and also have some of them fertilized and frozen with donor sperm. The average cost of this procedure, however, is $14,000 for women.
Crisci is encouraging people to sign a petition to show support for the legislation. The goal is to get at least 5,000 signatures.
She is also inviting the public to attend a fundraiser April 30 in Santa Monica to raise money for cancer and fertility.
Leave a comment