Cold cap helped Massachusetts mom keep hair during chemo. Now she is trying to help others get access to treatment.

A Massachusetts mother who is battling cancer is pushing health insurance companies to cover a treatment that is often overlooked. 

Exactly one year ago this week, it seemed like all the pieces were falling into place for Emily Sutliff. New year, new baby, and finding her footing as a mom of two. 

“Right when my son was three months, I think it was January 3, [her doctor] called, it was late in the day, and they said we’re so sorry to tell you but it’s actually breast cancer,” Emily recalled of the life-changing moment. 

Surgery revealed a potentially invasive cancer, requiring a more aggressive treatment plan. 

“Hearing I had to go through chemo, you just feel a sense of losing control. It was very scary,” she said. 

Scalp cooling costs thousands of dollars

There was one thing Emily wanted to try to control: to keep looking like the mom her toddler daughter knew. Dozens and dozens of hours of cold capping helped Emily keep her hair throughout 12 rounds of chemotherapy. 

But the feat came at a painful price, both physically and financially. Scalp cooling therapy cost her thousands of dollars. 

“I just thought, ‘what about another mother like me who wants to do the same but doesn’t have access to maybe pay for it?’ It really bothered me,” Emily said. 

This year, New York will become the first U.S. state to require private insurance companies to cover scalp cooling for chemo patients. Now, Emily is working with her state senator to make Massachusetts next. 

“The best legislation generally comes from individuals who are having an experience and wondering why something isn’t as it should be. She’s the epitome of that case,” said Massachusetts Senator Michael Rush. “Based on her courage, her sacrifice, her story, I’m committed, and I know colleagues in the legislature are to get this bill to become law.” 

Emily wouldn’t benefit from the bill. But she wants to make it right for other families. And after another Christmas with hers, as they count down until the end of treatment in April, she knows she has everything she needs. 

“For me it was just how lucky I was to be surrounded by the people who got me through what I felt like a really impossible difficult year. Overall, I feel very grateful,” she added.