For Latoya Taylor, there is life after cancer.
At the age of 29, Taylor was diagnosed in June 2013 with a rare and aggressive form of breast cancer known as metaplastic carcinoma.
She fought the cancer over two years with 16 rounds of chemo, 39 radiation treatments and seven surgeries.
“You may know people or even cared for people who have been through cancer treatment, but to actually go through it yourself is harder than you can ever imagine,” Taylor said. “The physical and emotional toll it takes on a person is at times unbearable, but you get through it … because you have to.”
And then, life. A new life. Her “miracle baby.” Little Cayden.
“He is a constant reminder that there is literally life after cancer,” Taylor said. “Giving up is not an option. What got me through treatment was the three Fs: faith, family, and friends. I took solace in knowing that there was a power greater than my own that was fighting this battle for me.”
Taylor was only able to work after chemo treatments and in between surgeries. But anytime she was in the office, her Colonial Life coworkers reminded her of what makes the company a “one of a kind.” It’s the people.
“I was overwhelmed by the outpouring of love and support that was given to me and my family and I am forever indebted,” said Taylor, an onboarding and development manager in Field Development at the Columbia, S.C. headquarters.
Her Colonial Life cancer policy also helped her and her family battle through the difficult times. After starting her career at Colonial Life in customer service, she was familiar with the plan – and had often urged customers to use the wellness reimbursement benefit, which covers the cost of early detection screenings such as mammograms.
The coverage for those preventive screenings is the main reason she purchased in the policy.
“I never in a million years thought that I would use it for anything else, until I had to,” she said. “I’m so glad that I had it. Without the Colonial Life cancer plan there is no question that I would have lost my home. I also wouldn’t have been able to afford my co-pays, deductibles, and medication costs.”
Taylor is not the only one to benefit from the policy. In 2013 alone, Colonial Life paid nearly $100 million in claims to 17,000 individuals battling cancer. In addition, nearly $25 million in wellness benefits was sent to 200,000 individuals for procedures to help detect cancer.
“I would urge anyone who doesn’t have one to sign up NOW, because cancer doesn’t discriminate,” she said. “It doesn’t care how old you are, your race, your status or anything else.”
