“She has had the most impressive recovery of any patient I have had,” Dr. Echeverria said.

About three years ago DiCaro began noticing her abdomen getting bigger but thought she was gaining weight and then began feeling pain in the area, the release said.

A scan in March 2012 showed she had a large tumor, but DiCaro, who was uninsured found it difficult to find an insurance plan that would cover surgery to remove it, because it was considered a pre-existing condition.

She found a plan and scheduled the surgery in 2013, but it was cancelled the night before due to more insurance issues.

By the time she became insured through the Affordable Care Act in 2014, the tumor had grown.

If it was not removed, the tumor would have been fatal.

"I am grateful for insurance and I was immensely happy with my care. I felt great confidence in Dr. Jie’s abilities," DiCaro said in the release. "The whole team approach was wonderful. I’m happy to be going on walks and getting back in the pool and getting out and enjoying life."