Organizers Seek Better Fertility Preservation Options For Women Battling Cancer

Two women are petitioning to enact legislation requiring Oklahoma insurance companies to require fertility preservation. 

Corinne’s Law is named after Corinne Dinges. Dinges battled Ewing’s Sarcoma and Leukemia for three years. 

News 9 spoke with her back in July about her mission. 

Dinges died on August 17 but her mission to help Oklahoma women lives on through her friends and family. 

The law organizers are advocating for has two main functions, to educate women on fertility preservation options and ensure treatment is easily accessible. 

Carly Kirkland battled osteosarcoma, a rare form of bone cancer. Now she is in remission. Thanks to Corinne she was able to make the decision to preserve some of her eggs. 

"There were dreams of mine that hung in limbo when I was going through cancer treatment but having a family was never one of them because of freezing my eggs," said Kirkland. 

Kirkland had only ten days to preserve her eggs before her treatment started, that caused issues with her insurance company.  

"When paired with the race against the clock to start chemo and then the large sum of money that is required for a lot of people it's just too much and they just think we will worry about it later well later is often too late," said Kirkland. 

Kirkland now wants the standard of cancer care to include informing women about fertility options before they undergo treatment. 

"We are trying to establish a solution that is both equitable to the cancer patient and just general Oklahomans from an insurance standpoint," said Kirkland. 

Corinne’s lasting impact could be this law aimed at helping Oklahoma women. 

"She would harp on it but if I could just help one woman it would be worth it so I think to be able to take her legacy and carry it on and potentially help so many other people,  says Erin Fitzpatrick a close friend to Corinne, " I think potentially to help so many other people is just something that I think would hold really strong for her legacy and her life and her mission."  

To sign the petition and learn more visit: https://www.change.org/p/oklahoma-legislature-corinne-s-law-oncofertility-preservation-patient-communication-coverage-in-oklahoma