My Mother, God’s Angel, Needs Help

My name is Kallin Jacobs and my mother, Kay Jacobs, is the strongest woman I know. Currently, she is battling her second time with breast cancer by undergoing regular chemo therapy. With God’s will and many prayers, the ultimate goal will be a double mastectomy and full breast reconstruction surgery. However, breast cancer is not her first hardship when it comes to her health. December 3rd, 2013 was a day I will never forget. My mom underwent a life-threatening brain surgery that changed my family’s life forever. At Johns Hopkins Medical Center in Baltimore, Maryland, Doctor Alessandro Olivi attempted to remove a golf ball sized benign tumor from her skull base. I say ‘attempted,’ due to the final result: only a small portion of the mass was removed. Her physical condition only worsened as doctors had tampered with her nerves. This resulted in her being unable to walk and talk correctly and it put her in an unimaginable amount of pain. My family and I spent the next two years helping her regain these day-to-day skills. After meeting with many doctors, Doctor William Friedman at the University of Florida Health Center in Gainesville, decided that it was best to try again, unfortunately, it was a repeat of the past and the unsuccessful surgery resulted in the same affects without any of the tumor being removed. To this day, she has visited around 20 doctors and is willing to try anything to alleviate the pain in order to live a normal life again. My mother is not one to publicize her health problems because she takes these hard times as an opportunity to grow closer to God and be with family. She has never been the type of person to ask for handouts but due to her circumstances she has been on disability for 3 years, leaving my family a single-parent income. I am currently a student at the University of South Florida in Saint Petersburg and my younger sister will soon be enrolled in college, so any amount helps, including prayers. God bless you for taking the time to read our story.