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‘I want to be that representation I never saw growing up’ | Local woman shares experience to help others
Andi Skillings was 29 when she was diagnosed with breast cancer. As a gay, Hispanic woman without insurance, she wants her story to shed light on her experience.
Andi Skillings was 29 years old — and living her best life — when…
“It was actually after a yoga workout and I came home and I felt something in my right breast that I had never felt before,” she recalled.
Andi was diagnosed with breast cancer.
“One day you’re in your apartment cooking, and then they call you and give you the news and I ran straight to the toilet,” Andi said. “I was sick. Immediately sick to my stomach A bad dream.”
A bad dream because she had cancer, and because she had no medical insurance. But in that moment, she got a lifeline. The Minnesota Department of Health Sage program stepped in and paid for the mammogram, and set her up for doctors, appointments and treatments while also helping her get insured.
And she needed that help because she didn’t know what to do or how to do it, because she never saw breast cancer coming.
“For a long time, I was very naive to the fact that Hispanic women even really got breast cancer very often, as crazy as that sounds,” she said. “You look at a billboard or a TV ad, most of the time it’s a white woman. So, I never got to see a face that looked like mine. Wasn’t on my radar at all.
And while Hispanic women get breast cancer less often, they get more aggressive cancer — like Andi’s — which is a rare form of triple negative.
“This breast cancer is more likely to return and metastasize, and this type of breast cancer often affects Hispanic women most,” Andi said.
But Andi was in another marginalized community, too — one she didn’t see when it came to breast cancer.
“You know, also being a queer person of color, I was afraid at what kind of care I was going to be given,” she said.
In the medical world, yes, but at home, she didn’t have to fear at all.
“When she got that phone call, I was like, ‘I am right there with you. I am not going anywhere,” said Andi’s wife Eva Skillings. “I just had no question, I will hold your hand through this entire thing.”
Eva fought with her for over a year — treatments, surgeries and the moment she got her first all-clear.
They tell the story of the cancer they fought for three reasons: gay women, Hispanic women and uninsured women should be a part of the conversation.
“I want to be that representation I never saw growing up,” Andi said.
For more information on the Minnesota Dept. of Health Sage program, visit mnsage.com or call 888-6HEALTH (888-643-2584).
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Police are investigating after three men were shot early on Saturday morning.
MINNEAPOLIS — Minneapolis police are investigating after three men were shot in the Ventura Village neighborhood early Saturday morning.
According to Minneapolis police, officers were called to the area around East 21st Street and South 15th Avenue around 5 a.m. Saturday.
Officers found three men had been shot. One of the men died and the two others were taken to the hospital with what police described as life-threatening injuries.
Officials said the shooting happened at a small homeless encampment.
Police have not announced any arrests as of Saturday morning.
KARE 11 will update this story as more information is made available.
This Halloween the chocolate shop is getting very festive.
MARINE ON SAINT CROIX, Minn. — A small sweet shop in a Minnesota river town has won some BIG awards for its chocolates.
St. Croix Chocolate Company in Marine on St. Croix has won national and international awards including Best of Show in this year’s America’s Division of the International Chocolate Awards.
Their chocolates are available at the St. Croix Chocolate Company kitchen or online.
This Halloween they are selling a Halloween Countdown Calendar that features 14 prize-winning recipes made into ghosts, bats, skulls and other spooky configurations. They also have a Boo Bag-handled tote that comes with their “best of” Halloween assortment.
Owner and Chocolatier, Robyn Dochterman, joined KARE 11 Saturday to share what St. Croix Chocolate Company has to offer.
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October is National Pasta Month and Red Rabbit‘s Corporate Chef, Adam Lerner, joined KARE 11 Saturday to show us how to make homemade noodles in the confines of your own kitchen.
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