On April 1, 2016, Osarere "Debbie" Idiagbonya transitioned. For four years, Debbie took a stand for her life and determined that she was going to live.

At 27, Debbie was diagnosed with invasive stage-four breast cancer. Over the years, the breast cancer that invaded Debbie’s body metastasized. Rather than cower to the disease, Debbie rose. She took on her life like a seasoned warrior. When she was confronted with inadequate health care in Nigeria, she went to battle.

She organized a troop of Nigerian bloggers, artists, and everyday people and began a grassroots campaign. In 2012, Debbie’s troop helped her raise over $35K. The funds raised enabled Debbie and her sister, Esther to come to the US, where she started life- extending chemotherapy and radiation treatments at Howard University Hospital’s Cancer Center.

The terrorism of cancer knows no bounds. Cancer colonized Debbie’s body. It spread to her bones, organs, and skull. Treatments began to fail Debbie. Insurance refused to pay for new, expensive drugs. Her doctors, convinced there was nothing left to do, sent her home, presumably to die. Debbie refused. Her stand to live was fierce. In January 2016, Debbie deployed her army. We were determined to do what the doctors and insurance agencies refused to do: #keepdebbiealive.

We raised enough money for one cycle of treatment. Cancer is an expensive disease. On average, the cost of cancer care is $141k. The average cost for new cancer drugs cost an average of $10K, some drugs are as costly as $30K a month. Patients typically pay anywhere between 20% and 30% for their treatments. In addition to the cost of drugs, there are the drugs to combat the side effects of treatment, copayments, facility fees, and supplies. Debbie’s case, the supplies were specialized tubes and bottles to drain fluid from her lungs. These supplies cost over $1k a month. The financial impact of a cancer diagnosis is devastating to a family with insurance and money. A cancer diagnosis is financially catastrophic when you are poor.

Debbie’s life with cancer, and her subsequent death from the disease, is not just another story about a 31-year old black woman with breast cancer. It is a story of poverty, race, and health care. Let’s not forget that, in addition to paying for cancer drugs and treatment, people with cancer must have a place to live. The cost of housing, transportation, and food in Washington, DC ranks as the third highest in the US. We do not know what Debbie’s experience would have been if she were wealthy, white, and had a Cadillac health insurance plan with access to most cutting-edge care. We do know that her experience would be markedly different.

It is with heavy hearts and great humility that we, Debbie’s generals, come to you and ask for assistance. We need to raise $30k for funeral expenses. Debbie did not have a chance to realize her potential as a scientist. Any income she could have earned did not materialize. Esther, Debbie’s full-time caregiver, used to work for minimum at a nursing home. The two women survive through community support, and God’s grace, really.

If Debbie were here she would not want us to cry but to hold on to the good memories we shared, the laughter , her courage, and how she inspired us. Please help us send this strong woman home in a befitting way. Thank you and God bless you for your continuous love and support over the years.

GO HERE TO DONATE - https://www.gofundme.com/rcx4jhzw

Debbie

RIP debby

U were a fighter, with such severe and intence ailment, u stil had hope, and guts 2 fight, such bravery....

Rest now, for peace and tranquility has finally come

RIP

Lord Jesus, pls save us from dis deadly thing called cancer! Its so scary *wippingtears*

so sad!!! I just hate this kind of news *makes me get emotional *.

Death is inevitable .

eeeyah

Hmmmm...so sad.

And we have a caring governor in Edo state whose wife is forming philantropist by donating cartons of indomie to IDP camps.

Very beautiful soul.... God please bless me and If I fail to render help when I can then take it away

For a moment I wished there was something I could do


Mehnnn... Life is expensive

Whoever wrote this piece is a confirmed slowpo.ke......the family is asking for a whopping 30k dollars....that's 9.6m for just burial.....these niggah.s tk Nigerians for foo.ols....why cant they just bury her in America...or burn and bring her ashes......

A dead person is oblivious of the kind of burial accorded them.....she is dead and free from all the pains that come with sickness...heck she is free from buhari's dullardary.

Rest in peace....we will all join u someday...its a debt we will all pay