| melissa - Danielle Gilbert is my friend and a former student, and she is fighting for her life. Danni has stage four colon cancer -- but her insurance company is refusing to cover treatment that could buy her at least three more precious months with her two daughters and husband. A chemotherapy drug, Avastin, has been shown to prolong the life of patients like Danni, and it's now part of the standard treatment for cancers like hers -- but Danni's insurer, Blue Cross of Idaho, refuses to pay for the drug. I've known Danni since I taught her in junior English, and our families have been friends for years. Hearing that she was literally fighting for her life was heartbreaking. So when she asked for help to convince Blue Cross to pay for this vital drug, I didn't hesitate. I started a petition asking Blue Cross to cover treatment that could give her more time with her family. Please click here to add your name. Danni has been battling this cancer for the last two years. She has thought of so many things -- she's put together a memory book for her daughters comprised of stories people remember about her (how they met, something funny that she did, etc.) It makes me tear up just thinking about how she's trying to prepare those little girls. But Danni hasn't given up. And I won't either. When I started the petition just one week ago, Blue Cross was about to deny Danni coverage for all her treatments. But more than one thousand people signed -- they were forced to back down, and are covering everything but this drug. Danni said, "knowing that I have people like all of you behind me makes this battle a little bit easier to fight." I hope we get lots more signers. I know that if thousands more people join us, Blue Cross will have to do the right thing and cover all of her treatment -- including this vital drug -- so that Danni can be with her family as long as possible. Please join me, and tell Blue Cross insurance to cover Danni's treatment and give her more time with her daughters. Thank you for your support, Patricia Rosenleaf | 
