Marcia Cross, Lobbying for Breast Cancer
‘Desperate Housewives’ star Marcia Cross went to Capitol Hill last week, lobbying Congress to pass the Breast Cancer Patient Protection Act of 2007 to end “drive-through” mastectomies for women forced to leave the hospital hours after surgery.
Marcia Cross is campaigning to give women the choice to recuperate for at least 48 hours following a mastectomy and was joined by Sen. Mary Landrieu, D-La., Rep. Rosa DeLauro, D-Conn., Rep. Jerry Moran, R-Kan., and Lifetime network executive Meredith Wagner.
Lifetime has collected more than 20 million signatures for the petition on its Web site, according to the network.
“It’s such a simple bill that it’s hard for me to understand why it’s been languishing in Congress for 10 years,” Cross said Wednesday. “When they told me about it, I just said, `What’s the problem?’”
Cross has several friends who survived breast cancer, and said she can’t imagine how someone can go home the same day after losing one or both breasts.
“I tried to imagine losing a foot and then (people) saying, `OK, now go home.’ … It’s just really unfathomable,” she said.
She said she thinks the bill will finally pass.
“I feel very optimistic that maybe that Congress has shifted a bit, that health care is more in the forefront, that maybe, you know, this is the moment,” she said.
Well, it seems that Marcia has got her hands full even thought Desperate Housewives’ production was temporarily shut down due to the still ongoing writers strike.
Source: Associated Press
Tags: Breast Cancer Lobby, Breast Cancer Patient Protection Act of 2007, Marcia CrossRelated Stories
POSTED IN: general commentary, on breast cancer
4 opinions for Marcia Cross, Lobbying for Breast Cancer
Kristen
Feb 1, 2008 at 1:40 am
Good for her! It’s about time someone is stepping up to the plate on this issue. It is truly appalling!
Kristen
Gloria
Feb 1, 2008 at 2:13 pm
i didn’t know about the issue. it is just horrible. i hope the bill gets approved.
LouAnn Savage
Feb 13, 2008 at 1:07 pm
Kudos for Marcia Cross. It is pathetic that this bill has languished around Congress since the late 90s. What does it take for our women congresspeople to spearhead this ball, run with it and get it into the end zone? Clearly, Congress is either afraid of the insurance companies or they simply don’t care. Isn’t 10 year’s enough to understand the bill before voting?
Nancy Fitzgerald
Feb 18, 2008 at 7:53 am
I agree with Marcia Cross. I live in Canada, I had breast cancer and lived the experience. Just last week I was having my 6th surgery the women next to me in the OR had a mastectomy and was being sent home, I felt her pain. My passion is to stop this also in this country It is a terrible feeling to be sent home the same day with your breast removed. Our health system needs to be more compassionate with women gong threw this. I myself am trying to do something about this. But I am just a women that had breat cancer.
A women with a lot of scars mentally and physically. I would love to help in anyway. If one women did not have to go through this, that is a beginning.
Nancy Fitzgerald
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