Woman fighting for better prosthetic nose from insurer after cancer surgery

FRESNO, Calif. -- A Clovis, Calif., woman is fighting for her right to be normal. It was just two years ago, when Carol Gill found out she had cancer.

"I had a tumor that blossomed on the outside of my nose and was about three centimeters externally," said Gill.

Within one week of the diagnosis she would be forced to make one of the hardest decisions of her life. Remove her whole nose so she could live.

"Everyone seems to be staring at you. Now whether that's actually the case or just self-consciousness I'm not really sure. But I spend a lot of time wearing big hats and walking with my head down which is so not me," said Gill.

In October, she got a prosthetic nose paid for by her insurance company. But it hardly fits her face and she says it's damaging her eye and her self-esteem.

So just weeks ago she decided to take matters into her own hands. She's raising money to get a prosthesis that actually fits because she says her insurance company won't pay for another nose. A spokesperson for the California Department of Insurance said insurance companies vary on the type of reconstructive surgeries they'll cover and it also varies on how much they're willing to pay.

"Every single day we see cases where insurance company employees or insurance company executives make a mistake. And they deny a claim and you should absolutely question it," said Nancy Kincaid of the California Department of Insurance.

For now Gill is reaching out to people in the community through a GoFundMe account so she can live her life out of the shadows.

"I don't think I've had this much anticipation in quite a long time," said Gill.