COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (KDVR) — For Elba Barr of Colorado, the talk of toxic burn pits hits home.

A proposed bill that passed the U.S. House of Representatives would help veterans like her get more medical care. It has stirred a whirlwind of emotions.

“Shock. Joy. Dumbfounded. I still have a sense of disbelief because 30 bills have been presented previous to this one,” Elba said.

The bill would help military veterans access much-needed medical care for life-threatening issues like the ones that have plagued Barr for years.

At times, seeing a doctor has been difficult and expensive. It’s care she hopes Veterans Affairs doctors will provide in the years to come.

“I had gynecological issues. I have had cervical cancer and ovarian cancer, and to have to go back to prove that that was due to my deployment,” Barr said.

Barr was a senior intelligence analyst specializing in terrorism. She tracked members of al-Qaida and spent time at the toxic burn pits President Joe Biden spoke about in his State of the Union address.

“There was a pond that we called Skittles pond. It would change colors because it had so many chemicals in it. daily, and we ran around that,” Barr said. It’s one of the reasons she said she battles cancer now.

Veterans advocacy groups Burn Pits 360 said there are millions of others struggling with similar issues.

“We’ve collected data for over a decade. And we’ve seen the cancers that are being reported and we’ve seen the death entries of these people that have succumbed to these issues,” Burn Pits 360 Executive Director Rosie Torres said.

Barr is doing OK for now and sells homes in the Denver area. But what she values most is spending time with her husband and children — a few of the reasons she’s fighting to get the best medical care.

One of Barr’s most recent medical procedures involved a double mastectomy. Barr said she’s asking people to call their lawmakers to make sure they support the Honoring Our PACT Act.