Butterfly Warrior Brain Cancer Fund

On Feb 3, 2017 my life changed forever. I was at work when suddenly I had a crippling seizure. Within minutes I was transported by ambulance to the emergency room where I underwent a battery of tests and scans. One of the scans showed a tumor on my brain.
The next few days were a whirlwind, as I was set to undergo invasive brain surgery to remove the tumor. This tumor was removed swiftly and successfully, however my family and I awaited the final pathology with much angst.

On Feb 5th the test results revealed our worst fears to be a reality: the tumor was a grade 4 glioblastoma. I had brain cancer. I was now being attacked by the same disease that took my mother's life when she too was only 50 years old.

I was told this was not a genetic cancer and that I would never get it. In fact, the chances of my affliction being hereditary are so minuscule, that it almost seems to be an act of fate. The tumor is gone but the cancer cells remain in my brain and I must undergo an immediate battle of radiation and chemo to help stop the regeneration of another brain tumor. However, I am not at odds with this reality. I have faith in God and I remember the example my mother set in her courageous battle.

My mother was a true warrior and fought hard to outlive this disease. She showed an inner strength that my family and I will never forget. After her death and in the years to come she has sent me many signs of her love and presence, most notably in the form of butterflies. My family and I have adopted this symbol to be a sign of her soul, and our house has been adorned with images of butterflies. My children, though they only knew her for the first few years of their lives, feel as if they can recognize their grandmother’s spirit when the spring weather shines and a butterfly flies in the backyard.

I feel my mom’s love now more than ever, and I feel her telling me to pick up the torch of a Butterfly Warrior and fight for my life with purpose. This purpose is to beat the odds of the prognosis I have been given, while helping researchers discover how to prevent this disease from hurting other families.

With a lapse in insurance until the first of next month I can only imagine how much the medical bills have mounted to be so far. With the insurance starting March 1st my treatments will only be covered 50 /50 and are estimated to be in the neighborhood of $2000.00 per day for at least 30 days.

Having been in the hospitality business most of my adult life I am used to being the one to help everyone else. The irony now is that my family and I are the ones who need help with medical bills and basic living expenses that would have been covered by my income. This is a huge mountain to climb and I will have to leave my job that I love so much.

Although my family’s immediate and apparent challenges are significant, I do not want this to be all about me. Eventually, I want to start a Butterfly Warrior Foundation that will live on past the legacy of both my mother and I to raise funds, educate and assist other victims of brain cancer.
I have had many friends offer to help me with the immediate mounting bills by setting up a fundraiser on Sunday April 23rd from 2 to 6 pm at Terra Cotta, 81 State Street, Binghamton, NY. I am so grateful and accepting of their love and assistance. Information will be provided and updated online for this event soon. I will share the links as soon as they are available.

Thank you for reading this and any contribution no matter the size will be heartfelt and appreciated. God bless you all.

Sincerely,
Suzanne Clark