A soldier's battle with cancer

We started this with love and support for our friend Stephanie who has stage 4 gallbladder cancer and is currently fighting for her life.  If you know her or have ever met her, then she has left her mark on you.  She's this amazing, strong, funny, and beautiful soul that we are lucky enough to call our friend. She is also a brave soldier, a wonderful wife, and a loving mother to her two beautiful children. This picture was taken before her official diagnosis and this is her story. 

 At 5 months post-partum, Stephanie believed that her chronic heartburn, nausea, aching joints, and severe fatigue were just part of having a young child and a newborn baby. After a week and a half of worsening symptoms she started to be concerned that something else was happening. She had developed itching all over her body and knew that it was time to go to the emergency room. Based on her symptoms they decided to order imaging of her gallbladder and liver. After a battery of tests at two different hospitals, and an ERCP (exploratory endoscopy,) they discovered a mass and multiple suspicious lesions in and around her gallbladder and vital organs. On October 20th, 2017, after an unsuccessful surgery and consultation by numerous physicians, we received the devastating news. At the young age of 34, Stephanie was diagnosed with stage 4, metastatic, gallbladder cancer and was no longer considered a surgical candidate because the cancer spread to vital organs. The oncologist recommended chemotherapy and she immediately began a regimen to shrink the tumors and impede metastasis. 

For the last 6 months, Stephanie has been battling the disease while still trying to be a mother to her two young children.  Through it all, she has been a pillar of strength, courage, and hope. Despite her debilitating pain, rigorous chemotherapy schedule, and chronic insomnia, she still insists on taking care of her 1 year old daughter and 4 year old son with her remaining energy.  While enduring her frequent exhaustion, and chronic nausea, she still manages to get down on the floor to play 'monster trucks' and get up every morning and make her son scrambled eggs for breakfast because Greyson says "mommy makes them best". Often times she's weak and her bones ache but she'll get up in the middle of the night to make a bottle and hold her little girl until she falls asleep because she's most comfortable in her mother's arms. She's fighting every day for the chance to watch her kids grow up and although it takes its toll, we rarely see her shed a tear. She seldom complains and we constantly have to remind her to rest.  When she needs to, she leans on her husband David, a disabled veteran, who works long hours to help support Stephanie, their children, and his Mother and Step-Father who share their home. His commitment, love, and encouragement gives her the strength to keep fighting.  She also has the love and support of her in-laws who have been there for her through this difficult time and do everything they can to help lessen the burden. 

Unfortunately, Stephanie's most recent scans showed that the chemotherapy is no longer working and the cancer is starting to spread to her liver. In light of this new information, she has decided to look into alternative medicine for her treatment.  Because her cancer has become resistant to chemotherapy, and her immune system has been weakened, she is running out of options with regards to conventional treatment. We put this together for her in an effort to get her alternative treatment so she can keep fighting and pull through this. Unfortunately, insurance companies don't cover treatment outside the standard of care.  The estimated cost of her treatment will be upwards of $50,000. We are asking for your help so she can get treatment as soon as possible. Please help us fight to save the life of this young mother, wife and soldier so she has the chance to live and watch her children grow.