Angie Salvador hugs one of her dogs on Wednesday, May 13, 2026, on her patio in Swansea. 鈥淭hey鈥檙e my emotional support animals,鈥 she says. Salvador's breast cancer diagnosis, coupled with other health issues, resulted in large healthcare bills that ultimately led her to file for bankruptcy.
Liz Rymarev, Post-Dispatch
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鈥淎fter it鈥檚 all said and done, I would rather probably go through that worry every single year than have to deal with the failed mastectomy, it鈥檚 a lot more pain 鈥 it鈥檚 double the pain.鈥 Angie Salvador, social worker, poses for a portrait in her backyard garden in Swansea on Wednesday, May 13, 2026. Salvador was diagnosed with breast cancer, had a double mastectomy and suffered complications from the reconstructive surgery last year. Along with her cancer diagnosis, she is battling Crohn鈥檚 disease and Parkinson鈥檚 disease. Her health insurance premiums have skyrocketed after government subsidies expired, leaving her with enormous medical debt. She filed for bankruptcy after being sued by Washington University Physicians, which also garnished her wages.
Angie Salvador hugs one of her dogs on Wednesday, May 13, 2026, on her patio in Swansea. 鈥淭hey鈥檙e my emotional support animals,鈥 she says. Salvador's breast cancer diagnosis, coupled with other health issues, resulted in large healthcare bills that ultimately led her to file for bankruptcy.
鈥淎fter it鈥檚 all said and done, I would rather probably go through that worry every single year than have to deal with the failed mastectomy, it鈥檚 a lot more pain 鈥 it鈥檚 double the pain.鈥 Angie Salvador, social worker, poses for a portrait in her backyard garden in Swansea on Wednesday, May 13, 2026. Salvador was diagnosed with breast cancer, had a double mastectomy and suffered complications from the reconstructive surgery last year. Along with her cancer diagnosis, she is battling Crohn鈥檚 disease and Parkinson鈥檚 disease. Her health insurance premiums have skyrocketed after government subsidies expired, leaving her with enormous medical debt. She filed for bankruptcy after being sued by Washington University Physicians, which also garnished her wages.
