Help Us Cure Bonnie's Cancer!

Bonnie's Ewing's Sarcoma has metastasized in her lungs.

FROM THE BEGINNING

When you are a young adult attending college, working full time, and chasing your rambunctious but highly intelligent son through a bedtime routine, the last thing you expect is to end up in the ER in terrible pain. You especially do not expect to hear that the pain isn’t something simple to remedy, but in fact, is a softball sized tumor growing on your ribs. That’s exactly the challenge life served Bonnie.

So, the mass was removed in one of the most painful surgeries a person can undergo. The Dr. sat across from Bonnie’s mother and partner with news to deliver that makes time stand still and your breath stop. “It’s definitely CANCER.” 


Soon thereafter Bonnie began a rigorous regimen of inpatient chemotherapy which included a 5 day hospital stay (due to the intensity of the chemo) every 4th week. Between her inpatient chemotherapy visits, she was also receiving outpatient infusions every other week.


Throw in another rib resection surgery mid-year and several hospital admissions for neutropenic shock, and Bonnie spent more of 2017 in the hospital than she spent time at home with her family.


Happy news came early 2018. She had finally completed her year of chemo treatments and was given the "all clear" when her scans came back free of any indication of cancer. Bonnie could finally move forward with plans they had to relocate to Oregon, continue school and work, meet new people and enjoy time with family.



DISCOURAGING NEWS

When Bonnie went to the oncologist this September for her first routine 6 month follow up, the CT scans showed spots on lungs that were not there in February. After a biopsy a week later, it was confirmed that her cancer has returned.

The new prognosis was originally presented as a pretty bleak scenario. Bonnie was offered limited treatment options that typically only show benefit in 30%- 50% of patients treated. Bonnie's oncologist was optimistic that if they could find the right treatment it could possibly stop the cell regeneration and maybe even send the cancer into remission. This suggestion offered her hope, until it was coupled with the phrases ”to hope for 10 years would be optimistic" and that anything currently available would still result in "just biding time". We felt defeated, but did not give up.

A SECOND OPINION

This is where we would appreciate your help!

We reached out to Cancer Treatment Center of America for a second opinion and their attitude from the very beginning was one of optimism. They assessed the situation and believe that all treatment should be designed to cure and not just bide time. They are ready to review her individual diagnosis and create a treatment plan tailored to her specific cancer.

Although Bonnie's insurance does cover some of the costs of treatment, she is seeking funding  to compensate for loss of income she will suffer while unable to work, loss of income her loved ones and support team may experience when helping her to treatments, reoccurring insurance premiums to maintain her health care coverage, insurance co-pays, deductibles, travel expenses to the out-of-state treatment facilities, additional childcare costs for her 7 year old son so he can attend daycare while she receives treatments, and any of the many other unforeseeable costs associated with such a diagnosis.

As with any cancer diagnosis, time is of the essence. Initial funding will be put to use as early as this week when Bonnie heads to her first consultation with Cancer Treatment Center of America. The need for funding will be a continuous one as we learned in 2017, and every cent or every "share" of this GoFundMe link,  and Bonnie's story, is appreciated more than you can imagine.

We understand not everyone will be able to donate, and that is okay! If you are unable to donate, but would still like to help, here's some suggestions:

- Spread the word! Share this story with everyone you know!

- Shoot her a nice text and let her know she is in your thoughts

- Post pictures and stories here of how you know Bonnie and how she has touched your life

- Visit her website for stories of her journey

-Join her Facebook Group for regular updates and uploads

- Check back here often for updates