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Remembering Jessica

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“You know, before I was born, when I was in heaven with God? You know, when God was deciding what family I should go to? Well, he chose you because he knew you would take good care of me,” Jessica recently said to her family.  And she was right. My brother Ray, sister-in-law Tracey, Elizabeth, Nehemiah, Raymond, and Paige all labored in love, fighting this disease with Jessica for years, even making it possible for her to stay at home rather than go to hospice. 

She is finally pain-free and though she is no longer here on this earth, she will be remembered in the hearts of all of those who her life touched.

Please remember Jessica and celebrate her life by supporting her immediate family as they honor her in ceremony. Remember her and support Ray and Tracey by helping to alleviate some of the remaining medical and funeral costs.  Any remaining donations will go to the Neurofibromatosis (NF) Foundation to help fund medical research to find a cure.

November 2020

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From the previous fundraiser which raised $800. Many thanks to those who have loved and supported them over the years!

I asked her family for more information to share about Jessica's cause, and her mom Tracey was kind enough to fill me in. Diagnosed with neurofibromatosis,  a genetic disorder of the nervous system that affects how nerve cells form and grow. It causes tumors to grow on nerves and is painful and life-threatening. Following are some of the battles she has faced since we was diagnosed as a toddler, before ultimately being diagnosed with brain cancer. She has been brave and positive, in spite of these being bedridden for 11 years! Here is her story:

"Jessica has had a life of medical challenges.  

At age 3, she started chemo for the first time to try to stabilize a tumor in her optic nerve which was making her legally blind while the other 6 tumors were being "watched." 

At age 7, she was diagnosed with a bad heart valve. 

At 9, one of the other brain tumors started to grow, and she had to have the tumor removed, along with 1/4 of her brain.

This ended up being an astrosycoma. Consequently, this resulted in many, many seizures, that took some time to control. 

At 16, she developed skin cancer.

At 18, Jessica had a tumor show up on her spine, which not only has had years of Chemo treatments, but also rendered her bedridden. Jessica has been paralyzed and gone through many hospital stays and travels to try to get someone, somewhere to help. She had a very, very hard surgery at John's Hopkins.

In the most recent three years, the optic tumor started acting up again and took almost all her vision, so we started chemo for that.

This past year, with all these other issues and more, Jessica has a new, aggressive tumor that has grown from the size of a lime to now, involving her chest and abdomen. 

Jessica has been fighting her whole life, has been bed ridden for 11 years, has had cancer 6 times, rough surgeries and yet is the most happy, content person I have ever known. She is a very strong young woman who has a peace and glow about her. Anything you can do to help with financially easing the burden would be appreciated but more appreciated would be to remember her and our family as this new tumor is aggressive and Jessica is tired, pray for her and the whole family. Many blessings to all of you and may the JOY and peace be yours as well."
 

Please join me in supporting my niece and her family as years’ worth of medical bills take a toll on finances. Let her know that her joy and hope makes a difference!

September 2019

Organizer and beneficiary

Ruth Thombs Cote
Organizer
Sabattus, ME
Ray Thombs
Beneficiary

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