Live like you're dying& Celebration
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What would you do if you were 25 and told you had 9 months to live? I am a retired teacher , and I have a former student and friend facing this question. When I asked her, she said "spend as much time as I can with family and loved ones doing the things Iove". I asked her if she is sad or depressed....she said," not anymore, now I am choosing to celebrate my life until I die." This is where I came up with my title...like the song....Live like you were dying! ...This campaign is to raise money for Myranda Leigh former White River High School Student Who Graduated in 2008.
I first met Myranda when she came to me in her Senior Year of High School asking if she could volunteer in my Special Education Classroom , at Elk Ridge Elementary, in the White River School District. I of course welcomed her like so many that had come before her. Right away, I noticed that Myranda was different. I could tell that she was going to be one of the students that would tell me later this experience had changed her life. And...that it did. She worked with one of my students facing so many challenges. He has multiple handicaps but one of his challenges is that he is totally blind. She discoverd right away that even though he was blind, he could see. He could see thru his touch, his smell, his taste, and his zest for life. The two of them became inseparable. In no time at all Myranda was asking if she could spend more time in my classroom beyond the alloted hour. Since she was assigned to me at the end of her high school day this was perfect! OF COURSE I would want her to spend more time...she was simply AMAZING! Each and everyday she would take this student out on his daily walks where he was learning to use his cane so he could become an independent walker. Some days he would be very grumpy, until she walked in the room. As soon as he would hear her voice he would giggle! Not just any giggle...but a giggle from deep down inside...you could see just how excited he ways by listening to him. I am not sure who helped whom more...but I knew it was a bond that would last a life time. Her senior year ended with her asking this little man to prom! They had a blast together dancing, laughing and eating pizza! As the years moved along after Graduation...Myranda continued to keep in touch always asking and planning visits to see her little buddy, just like I knew she would.
Then the devastating news came....Myranda shared her story with me.....and I would like to share it with you....but before I do , I must also say...Myranda does not come from a high income family. She has not had the opportunities in her lifetime to do many of the things so many other kids have gotten to do. She has not had a vacation in years. She just got a car, but prior to a few weeks ago had to take the train to Seattle for her treatments...and would walk from the train to the hospital. She is currently living with her sister taking care of the love of her life, her Niece who you see in the picture above. At her tender age of 25 she has not gotten married or engaged, and has not been able to hold down a typical job over the past 2 years due to being so sick, she has spent so much time in the hospital and being ill lately. All of the money she did have prior has gone towards her medical bills. Currently she has been given the news that her time is short....very short. She has 8 to 11 months to live.
I am doing this Go Fund Me in hopes to raise enough money to let Miranda Live a little before she dies....I would love for her to be able to go on a nice vacation...maybe a disney cruise with her sister and her niece? Maybe a trip to Disney Land...or somewhere else thats fun! I would also like there to be enough money for her Celebration of Life ceremony. The last thing a 25 year old young lady needs to worry about is....money for her services and celebration of life service once she passes. The Dr. says she has a few more months before she will be feeling super sick again, after that point...she will not be able to Live like she is dying....as... sadly, she will be dying. As I write this, I am in tears thinking how unfair this is.....yet, how proud I am of her for facing this with such bravery and such a positive attitude. Please help Myranda in her last few months....imagine if this were your daughter...yourself, your sister, or a good friend....how would you or they want to spend their last few months here on this Earth? Please help this sweet young lady. No amount is too small! I thank you from the bottom of my heart, as does she!
Now....to Myranda's words.... I was First Diagnosed on June 22, 2014. I had been having a little bit of pain in my lower back and did not think anything of it, I went on a hike with my family and when we got back to our property I was in a lot more pain. My mom finally told me enough and fighting the pain and took me to the emergancy room. I had the normal tests and scans and thought this was just going to be kidney stones or something, but when the doctor came in and asked the nurse to close the door I knew it was serious. The doctor then told me that I had a very large tumor on my kidney and I would need to have it removed as soon as possible.
On July 2, 2014 I had surgery to remove the almost 6 pound tumor that was growing off of my kidney. After having my tumor biopsied they found out that it was not kidney cancer like I was originally told but a cancer of the ewing sarcoma family called PNET, Primitive neuroectodermal tumor. It is a rare cancer, there are only a few hundred cases known in the world. We also learned that I had secondary lung cancer which is caused by my cancer finding a second home it liked not just my kidney anymore.
In September of 2014 I started chemotherapy, I was placed on Mesna, Cyclophosphamide and doxorubicin. I went in for chemo once a month, I was supposed to have chemotherapy for 36 months but I only made it 6 months. In January of 2015 I was rushed to the hospital because I got a cold which turned into pneumonia, then I ended up with sepsis and was placed in a medically induced coma and placed on life support. The doctors told my family that they should all prepare to say goodbye because I wouldn't make it through the night. 14 days later however, I was well enough to leave the hospital and go home.
In March of 2015 I was told that I was in remission, it was one of the best days of my life. That all came crashing down in January of 2016 when I had scans and it showed that I had metastasis on my lungs. My family, doctors and I talked about the next option and what to do. We decided I would start an oral medication called regorafenib, however after a few months the side effects were so severe that my family and I decided that it was better for me to enjoy the life that I have left then be stuck in bed sick and unable to get up without pain.
I was told by my doctor that I will have 9 months to a year left and I will start showing signs at 6 months.
I have come to terms to the choices I have made and the outcomes of those choices. I am now just focusing on making this next year the best as possible by doing things Ive always wanted to do but never had the chance to as well as spending as much time with my loved ones as possible.
This is Kim again, as I said...Myranda thanks you all from the bottom of her heart, for reading and sharing her story with all of your friends. The more people that see this...the more help Myranda will get. Lets give this young lady a few months of Joy....Thank You!
I first met Myranda when she came to me in her Senior Year of High School asking if she could volunteer in my Special Education Classroom , at Elk Ridge Elementary, in the White River School District. I of course welcomed her like so many that had come before her. Right away, I noticed that Myranda was different. I could tell that she was going to be one of the students that would tell me later this experience had changed her life. And...that it did. She worked with one of my students facing so many challenges. He has multiple handicaps but one of his challenges is that he is totally blind. She discoverd right away that even though he was blind, he could see. He could see thru his touch, his smell, his taste, and his zest for life. The two of them became inseparable. In no time at all Myranda was asking if she could spend more time in my classroom beyond the alloted hour. Since she was assigned to me at the end of her high school day this was perfect! OF COURSE I would want her to spend more time...she was simply AMAZING! Each and everyday she would take this student out on his daily walks where he was learning to use his cane so he could become an independent walker. Some days he would be very grumpy, until she walked in the room. As soon as he would hear her voice he would giggle! Not just any giggle...but a giggle from deep down inside...you could see just how excited he ways by listening to him. I am not sure who helped whom more...but I knew it was a bond that would last a life time. Her senior year ended with her asking this little man to prom! They had a blast together dancing, laughing and eating pizza! As the years moved along after Graduation...Myranda continued to keep in touch always asking and planning visits to see her little buddy, just like I knew she would.
Then the devastating news came....Myranda shared her story with me.....and I would like to share it with you....but before I do , I must also say...Myranda does not come from a high income family. She has not had the opportunities in her lifetime to do many of the things so many other kids have gotten to do. She has not had a vacation in years. She just got a car, but prior to a few weeks ago had to take the train to Seattle for her treatments...and would walk from the train to the hospital. She is currently living with her sister taking care of the love of her life, her Niece who you see in the picture above. At her tender age of 25 she has not gotten married or engaged, and has not been able to hold down a typical job over the past 2 years due to being so sick, she has spent so much time in the hospital and being ill lately. All of the money she did have prior has gone towards her medical bills. Currently she has been given the news that her time is short....very short. She has 8 to 11 months to live.
I am doing this Go Fund Me in hopes to raise enough money to let Miranda Live a little before she dies....I would love for her to be able to go on a nice vacation...maybe a disney cruise with her sister and her niece? Maybe a trip to Disney Land...or somewhere else thats fun! I would also like there to be enough money for her Celebration of Life ceremony. The last thing a 25 year old young lady needs to worry about is....money for her services and celebration of life service once she passes. The Dr. says she has a few more months before she will be feeling super sick again, after that point...she will not be able to Live like she is dying....as... sadly, she will be dying. As I write this, I am in tears thinking how unfair this is.....yet, how proud I am of her for facing this with such bravery and such a positive attitude. Please help Myranda in her last few months....imagine if this were your daughter...yourself, your sister, or a good friend....how would you or they want to spend their last few months here on this Earth? Please help this sweet young lady. No amount is too small! I thank you from the bottom of my heart, as does she!
Now....to Myranda's words.... I was First Diagnosed on June 22, 2014. I had been having a little bit of pain in my lower back and did not think anything of it, I went on a hike with my family and when we got back to our property I was in a lot more pain. My mom finally told me enough and fighting the pain and took me to the emergancy room. I had the normal tests and scans and thought this was just going to be kidney stones or something, but when the doctor came in and asked the nurse to close the door I knew it was serious. The doctor then told me that I had a very large tumor on my kidney and I would need to have it removed as soon as possible.
On July 2, 2014 I had surgery to remove the almost 6 pound tumor that was growing off of my kidney. After having my tumor biopsied they found out that it was not kidney cancer like I was originally told but a cancer of the ewing sarcoma family called PNET, Primitive neuroectodermal tumor. It is a rare cancer, there are only a few hundred cases known in the world. We also learned that I had secondary lung cancer which is caused by my cancer finding a second home it liked not just my kidney anymore.
In September of 2014 I started chemotherapy, I was placed on Mesna, Cyclophosphamide and doxorubicin. I went in for chemo once a month, I was supposed to have chemotherapy for 36 months but I only made it 6 months. In January of 2015 I was rushed to the hospital because I got a cold which turned into pneumonia, then I ended up with sepsis and was placed in a medically induced coma and placed on life support. The doctors told my family that they should all prepare to say goodbye because I wouldn't make it through the night. 14 days later however, I was well enough to leave the hospital and go home.
In March of 2015 I was told that I was in remission, it was one of the best days of my life. That all came crashing down in January of 2016 when I had scans and it showed that I had metastasis on my lungs. My family, doctors and I talked about the next option and what to do. We decided I would start an oral medication called regorafenib, however after a few months the side effects were so severe that my family and I decided that it was better for me to enjoy the life that I have left then be stuck in bed sick and unable to get up without pain.
I was told by my doctor that I will have 9 months to a year left and I will start showing signs at 6 months.
I have come to terms to the choices I have made and the outcomes of those choices. I am now just focusing on making this next year the best as possible by doing things Ive always wanted to do but never had the chance to as well as spending as much time with my loved ones as possible.
This is Kim again, as I said...Myranda thanks you all from the bottom of her heart, for reading and sharing her story with all of your friends. The more people that see this...the more help Myranda will get. Lets give this young lady a few months of Joy....Thank You!
Organizer and beneficiary
Kim Voelker
Organizer
Orting, WA
Myranda Leigh
Beneficiary
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