Joyce's Fight w/Cancer, Trip to Hawaii

Joyce's Story (My Mom!):

In early 2016, Mom started having unexplainable excruciating stomach pains. After multiple visits to different doctors and specialists, Mom went in for a colonoscopy where she was diagnosed with Stage IV Colon Cancer in October of 2016. If that news wasn't devastating enough, not two weeks after her diagnosis, her son Jon, who is stationed across the Country in Hawaii, was diagnosed with Hodgkin's lymphoma. This took an even greater toll on Mom as all she wanted to do was go see Jon, but couldn't due to the Chemo treatments she was going through. At the same time, all Jon wanted to do is come home to see Mom, but he was also unable as he was going through Chemo and Radiation treatments himself. Since then she has gone through numerous chemo treatments intravenously as well as rounds of Chemo orally. All treatments have wound up either not working, or kept the growth at a plateau for a few months and then would stop working and the Cancer would start progressing again. Since the original diagnosis, Mom's Cancer has spread throughout her lungs and the spots in her lungs have progressively grown as well as the large tumor in her Sigmoid Colon. Since all but one chemo treatments had been exhausted Mom & I went to the Mayo Clinic for a second opinion. Their news was not the positive outcome we hoped for as they had nothing further to offer either. We came back and Mom started on the one last Chemo Pill to try, Lonsurf. That now has reached its end with helping mom as the Cancer is again progressing. We thought there weren't any other chemo options for mom, but there has just been a new Chemo released that is FDA approved. Upon this news, Mom went in for another biopsy to see if she would be a match for the newly approved chemo. Her results came back just this past Monday, the 25th, and unfortunately, she is not a match for the new Chemo. Saying Mom has been through a lot medically, emotionally and physically over the last few years is an understatement. With some days better than others she still continues to lose her breath easily, become exhausted and has more difficulty than before with her day to day routine. So at this time as all treatment options available for her have been exhausted, we are planning on taking Mom to a place she has always dreamed of and wanted to go, Hawaii!!! We plan on taking her April 2nd-9th this year for her 72nd Birthday! She has always wanted to go to Hawaii, not only to visit Jon and see her Grandchildren, but she has always said she wanted to see where Max (her late husband) was while he was there in the Army. We have set up this Go Fund Me and are asking for donations to help cover flights, rentals & stay among any other things Mom would want to do while we are there! We truly appreciate any and all help! I know on behalf of my sisters and brother, as well as my Mom, we all appreciate the love and support you give her each and every day whether it is a quick text, call or message! Even if you aren't able to donate financially, we would appreciate if you could even possibly share this in hopes of reaching others!

Thank you so much!

-Jolene