A posthumous letter to all women Lavinia Stathakis. The fashion and beauty blogger and mother of three minor children passed away after a brave battle with cancer.
Her friend Iota Houliara noted how Lavinia Stathakis dealt with cancer in recent years. Lavinia Stathakis herself has prepared a stunning speech from October, in which she talks about her experience and offers some suggestions to make the daily life of a cancer patient easier.
Post in detail
“In honor of Lavinia Stathakis, Lavinia Stathakis wanted to create a handbook to deal with and manage the daily life of cancer patients. She wanted to note the positives and negatives that she faced in her own way. Let's read it: “My name is Lavinia Stathakis, I am 38 years old, mother of 3 children. I studied Business Administration and worked continuously for 15 years in the private sector until my adventure with breast cancer.
Specifically, in 2021, at age 36, while pregnant with my third child, I was diagnosed with triple negative breast cancer. A disease that mainly affects young women. Notably, cancer worldwide has shown an upward trend in recent years, mainly among younger people. Through this adventure I came into close contact with the National Health System and cancer patients.
My life has changed and I am now an 80% disabled person. In closing, I would like to share from my experience the positives and negatives that I have encountered. Through my story, I can help people with special needs to have a better future and the benefits they already have and are unfortunately unaware of. In this context, let me give you a list of positives and negatives that oncology patients experience in the healthcare system in order to have a better quality of life. Because, yes, there should be prevention of cancer, but whoever gets sick, permanently enters a new and more demanding life.
So cancer is now a chronic disease through which the patient lives, works and takes care of his family. Especially a woman who has multiple roles in today's society (mother, wife, homemaker, worker) but also has a statistically lower income. I must state at this point that I do not belong to any kind of organization and am not involved in activism. During my life, because of my love for fashion and beauty, I have gained an audience as an influencer on social media, and I want to share my experience in a way that can be useful to all women who are sick”.
positively
1. Free medicine in treatments that cost thousands of euros
2. Possibility of Disability Allowance
3. Willingness of general practitioners to take on patients with uncertain outcomes
4. BRCA1&2 Genetic Testing Grant
5. Applying for KEPA certification online is easy
6. Free rapid test for cancer patients in health units
7. Vic grant €188
8. Free mammogram above 55 years
9. Disability benefits like 50% on ferry tickets
They want progress
1. Lately even people with disabilities like me have a “cutter” in their prescription for testing. In other words, in the case of disabled persons or patients undergoing treatment, they should be exempted from this restriction. Blood tests are repeated every week in an oncology patient's life, and it is very difficult for someone who receives treatment every week to risk her life and wait in a general hospital because of her burdened immune system.
2. Oncology patients do not know that they are eligible for KEPA treatment, most of them think that it is about quadriplegia. Little do they know that this is a simple process and is now done online too.
3. Need increased disability benefits especially in cases like mine (3 kids, unemployed, divorced).
4. Facilitating the process of providing assistance for purchase of wigs. For example, a good wig (with natural hair) costs between €800-€2,000. There are also less expensive synthetics that are optional.
5. Simplification of procedures for grant of lifetime pension, in cases where they are entitled. Most of the women face difficulties as they have to submit documents and opinions repeatedly during the treatment and struggle in their simple daily life.
6. Less bureaucracy in granting transport subsidy to oncology centres. An immunocompromised patient with no income cannot afford MMM and needs support and facilities to carry out his treatments.
7. Protection of cancer patients in the private sector. I was personally fired from my job when my 18 months of maternity cover was up (I'm very grateful for these 18 months). In this case, I didn't get a response from the labor survey, and as a result I am without a job and with 3 children suffering from aggressive illness.
8. The severance pay I have received since my dismissal, even though it is not taxable, is treated as income at the rate of taxable income, resulting in my exclusion from child benefits, further exacerbating my financial situation.
9. Need for psychological support subsidy. Most oncology patients seek psychiatric help, which may be subsidized exclusively for oncology patients, as average visits in the private sector range from €100-€150 per session.
Recommendations
Apart from the above which requires immediate improvement, I would suggest creating a consultant who would explain the rights and privileges of the oncology patient to him. Also, access to pre-approved government positions can be strengthened through additional points in cases where the patient's personal income is paid due to redundancy and dependent members”.
We prepared this text in October and I never thought it would be used like this. I couldn't find a way to ask her before.
Lavinia Stathakis did not have time to know the response to her attempt to highlight the need to take the aforementioned measures to ease the daily lives of thousands of patients. But she was able to “speak” to the hearts of all of us, which will accompany her on her journey to light”.
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Lavinia Stathakis died
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