The prison doctor told her she had fibrocystic breasts. That’s why she had lumps. The same doctor downplayed her concern when she told him that there was breast cancer on her father’s side of the family. After all, it wasn’t her mother’s relatives.

But it wasn’t over. One year later, she had a hysterectomy. She went through radiation and chemo therapy. She lived in pain.

In 2000, when she testified at legislative hearings held in one of California’s women’s prisons, her throat was bandaged because doctors had removed a growth from her neck. What the doctors at the community hospital didn’t realize though, was that she had been asking the prison medical staff about the growth for several months before they deigned to send her out for further tests. During the years of 2000 and 2001, she would discover other growths in her neck and shoulder areas. She’d tell the prison doctor----sometimes they would send her out for tests—but usually she would call and tell me that the prison doctors didn’t seem concerned. “You’ve just got swollen glands; don’t worry they’re not cancerous.”

In 2002, things went on about the same for her. Out to the hospital for tests back to the prison where the outside doctor’s recommendations may be followed or not. She was in nearly constant pain. Yet, obtaining proper pain medication continue to be a struggle. They had labeled her a “drug seeker” back in 1995 (two years before her first mastectomy) because she kept telling them the lump in her breast was painful and she needed something stronger than Motrin. Months after each of her surgeries when she was still having a great deal of pain, she was told that she was “malingering.”

Through all these years, she never gave up. Oh, she’d have her “down days” but she always bounced back and continued her struggle to get the medical treatment and care she deserved.

She wasn’t just fighting for herself though. She would encourage other women at the prison to demand proper treatment for themselves. She sued the prison doctor and the department of corrections for ignoring her initial complaints of painful breast lumps. She said that the lawsuit was a way to let people know what was happening to women in California prisons. When she was awarded a monetary settlement, she authorized a payment to her mom and had the rest put in a trust account. She would draw on the account each month so she could buy shampoo, toothpaste, snacks, craft supplies, and pay the five-dollar co-pay for each “inmate initiated medical appointment” at the prison. But mostly she shared. She would send me a list of things she wanted in her quarterly packages----items like new jeans or shoes for herself-----and extras of other items that she could share with other women in her housing unit.

Of course, she had to be discreet about what she did for her prison “sisters” lest she be seen as a manipulator of the system. Prisoners are forbidden to send money to other prisoners or have packages sent to them. But that didn’t stop her from trying to reach out to others. She found a way to send money orders to the families so they would have an opportunity to come to the prison for a visit or to pay for some of the expenses involved in taking care of the prisoner’s children.

Unfortunately, everything she did to rehabilitate herself went for nought. At her parole hearing in June of 2002, one commissioner found her unsuitable for release while the second commissioner thought she was ready to parole. Because of the split in the vote for parole, her case went before the entire board of commissioners who upheld the one year denial of parole and told her to avail herself of the self-help available at the prison. No amount of pleading or evidence that this woman was too ill to take part in ongoing groups that required regular attendance, dissuaded the board----her parole request was denied.

She continued to become increasingly ill. As the cancer spread, she kept trying to find relief. When it became apparent to everyone that she was not going to recover, the medical staff at the prison was instructed to begin the process of securing a compassionate release. However, it was now too late. Compassionate release is a process that takes months and she had only days. She was once again in the community hospital but this time would be the last time.

She died on December 12, 2002, still in the custody of the department of corrections, in the community hospital with a prison guard posted in her room.