Cancer Patient Andrea Needs Help

I am a friend of Andrea Urban. She was diagnosed with Chronic Myeloid Leukemia (CML) in 2004. Since then she has been on oral chemotherapy and several other drugs to counteract its side effects. Once a thriving actress, mother and wife in NYC, she left her abusive husband, returned to the Midwest, and has tried to keep life normal for her 2 children despite serious, debilitating side effects from daily oral chemo called Gleevec which include constant vomiting, nausea, daily headaches, osteoarthritis, loss of strength, muscle pain and weakness, and serious weight loss that has taken her 5'9" frame down to 115 lbs. At first Andrea lived on her savings and was able to provide for her children, but as her health deteriorated, her money is gone and she lives on $888/month disability. Andrea makes the rounds of food banks in her area to feed her children. She is too ill to work, but tries to stay positive. Miraculously, her daughter was born 10 years ago while Andrea was on chemotherapy, the first baby known to survive. Her daughter and son are Andrea's reasons to keep going, but she needs our help. She needs all the help she can get - and as soon as possible. Bills for utilities, insurance, food, gas for her car to get to support meetings, church and food banks are just some of the ways contributions will be used.  I met Andrea almost 20 years ago and knew she was a special person. Her perseverance in the face of her disease amazes me. I wish I could help her financially, but this page is my contribution. I've lost friends and family to cancer, and I would like my friend Andrea to be a success story. Please help her and her children.