Jenny LaFontaine vs Brain Cancer
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Jenny Lafontaine vs. Brain Cancer.
Some people seem to come out of the womb adept and ready to take on the world. That’s Jenny Lafontaine, who had enormous responsibility thrust on her at a young age – namely, having the responsibility of taking care of her brother and sister as a preteen. After that, it was easy to handle every challenge with fearlessness and aplomb.
Until now. Until the challenges of being forced to eat in soup kitchens, sometimes going a week at a time without showering, and wonder when the physical torture will end. Read on, this story might not be what you think.
There’s no good age at which to get stricken with brain cancer, but 39 is among the worst. That was in 2009, and the ensuing 7 years have been predictably rough for Jenny. The last year alone has included multiple rounds of radiation and 12 brutal months of chemotherapy, treatments that would knock a weaker woman to the ground. But there’s only so much Jenny can do alone.
Brain cancer took on the wrong opponent this time. Still, the cancer has gotten plenty of shots in. Just since February, it’s turned Jenny from a strong and independent woman into someone who needs assistance with the most basic of daily tasks. Imagine relying on someone else to clean and feed you. We’re not talking about a baby, or a hunched-over, broken-down 90-year-old. This is a vibrant woman who ought to be in the prime of her life.
Jenny gets a little over $1500 a month from the taxpayers. It’s a start, but it’s nowhere near enough to keep her fed and sheltered, let alone comfortable and free from pain. She relies on family and friends to make ends meet, and to drive her to her all-too-frequent hospital and doctor visits. While you’ll never hear those close to her complain, it can’t be easy for them either. Jenny remains as upbeat as it’s possible to be, but this is her second bout with brain cancer. (When she was first diagnosed, it was already in Stage IV. She beat that cancer into remission, but it's since returned with a vengeance.)
Over the last 9 years one of Jenny’s siblings raised $12,000 for St. Baldrick’s, a pediatric cancer charity. Not for any family reasons, but because it feels rewarding to donate to a cause that does such tangible good. Even when the beneficiaries are complete strangers. Jenny’s family members are now focusing their efforts to help raise money for one of their own, and are looking for a little help.
St. Baldrick’s requires its fundraisers to shave their heads. We’re not asking for anything quite that drastic. (Besides, Jenny knows from experience how difficult the bald look is to pull off.) Keep your hair, but please give whatever you can. We set the goal at $12,001 in the hopes that Jenny’s friends (and friends of friends) can beat that mark, for a woman who really needs it.
Thank you and God bless.
Some people seem to come out of the womb adept and ready to take on the world. That’s Jenny Lafontaine, who had enormous responsibility thrust on her at a young age – namely, having the responsibility of taking care of her brother and sister as a preteen. After that, it was easy to handle every challenge with fearlessness and aplomb.
Until now. Until the challenges of being forced to eat in soup kitchens, sometimes going a week at a time without showering, and wonder when the physical torture will end. Read on, this story might not be what you think.
There’s no good age at which to get stricken with brain cancer, but 39 is among the worst. That was in 2009, and the ensuing 7 years have been predictably rough for Jenny. The last year alone has included multiple rounds of radiation and 12 brutal months of chemotherapy, treatments that would knock a weaker woman to the ground. But there’s only so much Jenny can do alone.
Brain cancer took on the wrong opponent this time. Still, the cancer has gotten plenty of shots in. Just since February, it’s turned Jenny from a strong and independent woman into someone who needs assistance with the most basic of daily tasks. Imagine relying on someone else to clean and feed you. We’re not talking about a baby, or a hunched-over, broken-down 90-year-old. This is a vibrant woman who ought to be in the prime of her life.
Jenny gets a little over $1500 a month from the taxpayers. It’s a start, but it’s nowhere near enough to keep her fed and sheltered, let alone comfortable and free from pain. She relies on family and friends to make ends meet, and to drive her to her all-too-frequent hospital and doctor visits. While you’ll never hear those close to her complain, it can’t be easy for them either. Jenny remains as upbeat as it’s possible to be, but this is her second bout with brain cancer. (When she was first diagnosed, it was already in Stage IV. She beat that cancer into remission, but it's since returned with a vengeance.)
Over the last 9 years one of Jenny’s siblings raised $12,000 for St. Baldrick’s, a pediatric cancer charity. Not for any family reasons, but because it feels rewarding to donate to a cause that does such tangible good. Even when the beneficiaries are complete strangers. Jenny’s family members are now focusing their efforts to help raise money for one of their own, and are looking for a little help.
St. Baldrick’s requires its fundraisers to shave their heads. We’re not asking for anything quite that drastic. (Besides, Jenny knows from experience how difficult the bald look is to pull off.) Keep your hair, but please give whatever you can. We set the goal at $12,001 in the hopes that Jenny’s friends (and friends of friends) can beat that mark, for a woman who really needs it.
Thank you and God bless.
Organizer
Dennis LaFontaine
Organizer
Las Vegas, NV
