PHOENIX (CBS5) -
A cancer survivor is helping dozens of patients in their fight against insurance giants, including an Arizona man.
"Some people laugh, laugh literally because they don't understand what it is," Troy Marley said.
Marley has worked in the produce department at Fry's grocery store in Tempe for 17 years.
"Some people have accused me of being on drugs," Marley said.
He suffers from severe Tourette's syndrome, something he wants people to know more about.
The condition typically gets a little better over time but recently, Marley's has gotten worse.
"Well, like my head shaking, it's gotten more violent," Marley said.
It's so bad, he fractures his own ribs about once a month.
"Probably five to six times this year already," Marley said.
The single dad works full-time and takes care of his 7-year-old daughter, Thalia Marley. He fears for their future.
"My daughter is the center of my life. She's everything," Marley said.
His doctors recommended a form of brain surgery to help suppress the uncontrollable spasms - a request his insurance denied.
Marley said writing an appeal was overwhelming with the web of contacts.
"There's the board of trustees, there's these committees I've been told. It gets funneled here, it gets funneled there. These people make decisions. 'No, I'm sorry Mr. Marley, you have to go here, they make decisions. Call them,'" Marley said.
That's where The Insurance Warrior stepped in.
"He'd suffered with severe Tourette's for 30 years, working in the public, single father raising his little daughter and I thought 'I have to help him,'" Laurie Todd said.
Todd wrote a book on battling insurance companies after her own experience with life-threatening cancer.
She's spent the past seven years learning the system and writing appeals for patients all over the country, including a girl from California who has severe Tourette's syndrome.
"When people asked me for help, I couldn't turn them down," Todd said.
"I have the ability to work. I have the desire to work. I don't want to become one of these individuals that depends on state assistance," Marley said.
Todd won again and Marley is getting his brain surgery. Marley's case is her 100th victory against insurance companies.
In seven years she's only lost four appeals.
Click here to watch a YouTube video Marley created to tell his story and raise money for his surgery.
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