By Elaine Truong on
Most likely to be the only celebrity to win an award with the word ‘ass’ in it — the 2010 Do Something Kick-Ass For Survival Award — Christina Applegate is continuing to “kick cancer’s ass” by launching a charity, Right Action for Women, to help women who can’t afford the proper treatment for cancer.
“It’s a program giving financial aid to high-risk women who can’t afford to get MRIs, which is how I found my cancer,” Applegate tells WENN. “It’s unfortunate that insurance companies (in America) don’t cover the cost of that. It’s such an incredible device because you can find it at an early detection stage. We started our pilot program and started helping women already, even though we aren’t launched. The other aspect of the program is to do genetic counseling and help women understand what being high-risk means, and understanding what foods are good for their bloods and how to prevent this disease from happening. That has been my mission.” Applegate said.
Diagnosed with breast cancer in 2008, Applegate was fortunate that she survived, mainly because the early form of cancer was detected before it grew serious. Right Action for Women provides financial aid to women for MRI tests, which are screening tests for women with risks of getting breast cancer. MRI tests are usually not covered by insurance and can be seen as a financial nuisance to some. Applegate’s charity hopes to bring light to the importance of MRI tests and to preach the seriousness of these potentially life-saving tests.
Applegate was also the spokesperson for the Lee National Denim Day, which has raised about $80 million for breast cancer education and research to date. On September 8, 2008, the actress appeared alongside Jennifer Aniston, Scarlett Johansson, Meryl Streep, Sally Field and Charlize Theron in a telethon for Stand Up To Cancer, which was broadcasted on CBS, NBC, and ABC.
Click here to learn more about Right Action for Women or to make a donation.
Copyright © 2010 Look to the Stars
