Love for Lava: helping with medical expenses
Donation protected
Let us be the first to thank you - thank you for being a good-hearted, caring, interested person who’s taken just a few moments to learn about our page and our mission to help one of the greatest people to grace this Earth - Jennifer Lava.
For those that know Jen and for those that are being introduced to her for the first time - caring, loving, adoring, selfless, kind-hearted, warm, friendly, passionate, loyal, and fearless are only some of the words which describe the person so affectionately known as Lava.
Beyond her love of sharing all things pop-culture, Jen’s always the first one to offer her time when someone’s in need, her creativity when planning an event, and of course her famous snacks when we are setting out for a road trip, or just in need of a pick me up on a down day.
She’s there in everyone else’s time of need at the drop of a hat, no questions asked, with fresh baked cookies in tow just because she loves you that much.
Well now she needs our help, our love and our support . Now is our chance to be there for her in her most trying time of need - and that’s because Jen has cancer.
Cancer decided to take up residence in Lava’s colon. Not the most luxurious of places for the disease to emerge but nonetheless he has. “He?” you ask. Yes “he” because in true Lava fashion she named her cancer - not because it deserved a name - but rather Lava’s humility, humor, and grace immediately rose to the top in defiance of the disease.
But since you asked his name is Carl - Carl Stage 4 Colon Cancer.
Stage 4 Colon Cancer. That diagnoses alone would put most people into a state of shock and devastation and make any person shut down with fear. As her initial diagnoses was shared and with little time for the news to sink in - it was uncovered that the cancer spread to Lava’s ovaries AND liver - a discovery that would have most people would throw in the towel and wave the white flag.
In consultation with an amazing group of fertility doctors, surgeons, and oncologists at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center in Manhattan, a plan was formed to immediately remove the infected part of the colon, liver and right ovary. It was not known whether the left ovary could be saved.
A majority of 34 year old women do not have to decide if their reproductive organs should be removed to eliminate cancer. Lava was not one of those lucky few. Faced with this life altering decision, she courageously decided that should the left ovary test positive for cancer, it was to be removed, and she would tackle the challenges of that decision down the line. Those tests came back positive during surgery, and the left ovary was removed - just another gift from Carl.
Now, with both ovaries removed, part of her colon and a small piece of her liver gone - she is recovering from surgery - only to begin chemo in 6-8 weeks.
If a cancer diagnosis isn’t enough to get your tear ducts swelling - you should know that just three weeks prior to Carl making his appearance - Lava quit her job in NYC to start a new and amazing chapter of her life in Washington DC, with a new apartment and new job in tow. Three weeks of pure joy and elation, cut down in an instant by one six letter word.
Though she fortunately has health insurance with her new employer, unfortunately her absence from work means that there will be no more paychecks to cover the cost of her insurance, deductible, and what will quickly become a mounting pile of medical bills covering her surgery, hospital recovery, chemo treatments, fertility programs, and all future treatments that may be needed.
So because of that, Love for Lava was created by her WOTown friend’s because we know she would do the same for us. We’re asking for just a little bit more help, a little bit more generosity, and little bit more support for her as she continues on this journey.
Instead of (or in addition to) the food platters, and flowers, and additional gifts that you’ve been thinking of getting her, we’d ask that you take that money and donate here for all her future medical bills. While the lox and bagel platter we know is always a hit with Lava, your donation to this page will go farther and be more impactful to her recovery in more ways than one.
Nothing is too big, and nothing too small, but anything you donate deeply appreciated.
Everything we collect through this platform will go towards any of the medical bills we mentioned above as well as any medical costs that Lava must deal with as she fights off this disease. In addition, her sister Stefanie has been named the beneficiary for the funds, as she is managing all of her bills and payments during this time so that Lava can solely focus on getting healthy and staying strong.
We shared all the this because Lava wants to share her story. When shock, devastation, anger, confusion, or sadness could have taken over, she has more than persevered looking at the situation as the glass half full person that she is. Her fight has only just begun but it’s one she’s determined to win. A big reason for that - she wants to return all the love and support she has felt from all those in her life during this time. True to form, she’s already thinking about others and how grateful she is for those in her life in her most trying time - when in reality we’re truly the grateful ones for having her in ours - even those that haven’t met her yet.
Thank you so much for your help and donation - and knowing Lava you’ll probably get cookies as soon as you hit submit :)
For those that know Jen and for those that are being introduced to her for the first time - caring, loving, adoring, selfless, kind-hearted, warm, friendly, passionate, loyal, and fearless are only some of the words which describe the person so affectionately known as Lava.
Beyond her love of sharing all things pop-culture, Jen’s always the first one to offer her time when someone’s in need, her creativity when planning an event, and of course her famous snacks when we are setting out for a road trip, or just in need of a pick me up on a down day.
She’s there in everyone else’s time of need at the drop of a hat, no questions asked, with fresh baked cookies in tow just because she loves you that much.
Well now she needs our help, our love and our support . Now is our chance to be there for her in her most trying time of need - and that’s because Jen has cancer.
Cancer decided to take up residence in Lava’s colon. Not the most luxurious of places for the disease to emerge but nonetheless he has. “He?” you ask. Yes “he” because in true Lava fashion she named her cancer - not because it deserved a name - but rather Lava’s humility, humor, and grace immediately rose to the top in defiance of the disease.
But since you asked his name is Carl - Carl Stage 4 Colon Cancer.
Stage 4 Colon Cancer. That diagnoses alone would put most people into a state of shock and devastation and make any person shut down with fear. As her initial diagnoses was shared and with little time for the news to sink in - it was uncovered that the cancer spread to Lava’s ovaries AND liver - a discovery that would have most people would throw in the towel and wave the white flag.
In consultation with an amazing group of fertility doctors, surgeons, and oncologists at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center in Manhattan, a plan was formed to immediately remove the infected part of the colon, liver and right ovary. It was not known whether the left ovary could be saved.
A majority of 34 year old women do not have to decide if their reproductive organs should be removed to eliminate cancer. Lava was not one of those lucky few. Faced with this life altering decision, she courageously decided that should the left ovary test positive for cancer, it was to be removed, and she would tackle the challenges of that decision down the line. Those tests came back positive during surgery, and the left ovary was removed - just another gift from Carl.
Now, with both ovaries removed, part of her colon and a small piece of her liver gone - she is recovering from surgery - only to begin chemo in 6-8 weeks.
If a cancer diagnosis isn’t enough to get your tear ducts swelling - you should know that just three weeks prior to Carl making his appearance - Lava quit her job in NYC to start a new and amazing chapter of her life in Washington DC, with a new apartment and new job in tow. Three weeks of pure joy and elation, cut down in an instant by one six letter word.
Though she fortunately has health insurance with her new employer, unfortunately her absence from work means that there will be no more paychecks to cover the cost of her insurance, deductible, and what will quickly become a mounting pile of medical bills covering her surgery, hospital recovery, chemo treatments, fertility programs, and all future treatments that may be needed.
So because of that, Love for Lava was created by her WOTown friend’s because we know she would do the same for us. We’re asking for just a little bit more help, a little bit more generosity, and little bit more support for her as she continues on this journey.
Instead of (or in addition to) the food platters, and flowers, and additional gifts that you’ve been thinking of getting her, we’d ask that you take that money and donate here for all her future medical bills. While the lox and bagel platter we know is always a hit with Lava, your donation to this page will go farther and be more impactful to her recovery in more ways than one.
Nothing is too big, and nothing too small, but anything you donate deeply appreciated.
Everything we collect through this platform will go towards any of the medical bills we mentioned above as well as any medical costs that Lava must deal with as she fights off this disease. In addition, her sister Stefanie has been named the beneficiary for the funds, as she is managing all of her bills and payments during this time so that Lava can solely focus on getting healthy and staying strong.
We shared all the this because Lava wants to share her story. When shock, devastation, anger, confusion, or sadness could have taken over, she has more than persevered looking at the situation as the glass half full person that she is. Her fight has only just begun but it’s one she’s determined to win. A big reason for that - she wants to return all the love and support she has felt from all those in her life during this time. True to form, she’s already thinking about others and how grateful she is for those in her life in her most trying time - when in reality we’re truly the grateful ones for having her in ours - even those that haven’t met her yet.
Thank you so much for your help and donation - and knowing Lava you’ll probably get cookies as soon as you hit submit :)
Organizer and beneficiary
Jen’s Friends
Organizer
West Orange, NJ
Stefanie Hoye
Beneficiary
