Imagine losing your job and the very next week, being told you have a rare form of invasive breast cancer that has already spread to your lymph nodes. A cancer that requires surgery, radiation and possibly chemotherapy that will attack your immune system in the middle of the COVID pandemic! That’s exactly what Marcia is going through right now. After being laid off from Wells Fargo Bank in September and diagnosed with invasive lobular carcinoma, Marcia is facing major surgery in early December, a six to nine month post-op treatment regimen, and a difficult re-entry into an uncertain job market. But as we all know, Marcia is a fighter and she is going to beat this disease and emerge stronger on the other side!

But she needs our help……….

Since her family and most of her close friends live out of town and cannot be with her during the treatment and recovery period, Marcia will need outside help to fight this cancer. During COVID, even her local friends and neighbors cannot just drop by with dinner or a helping hand because of a cancer patient's elevated risk of contracting the virus. Combine these circumstances with uncertainty related to Marcia’s healthcare insurance cost due to the layoff, and you can imagine how stressful this has been. Because we cannot all be by her side to lend a hand, the best way for us to support Marcia is to make a donation to assist her in getting the outside resources she needs.

Your donation would help Marcia arrange the support services she needs after surgery such as healthy anti-cancer meal delivery (Daily Harvest & Factor75), snow plow service, and bi-weekly housekeeping. A donation would also go towards special cancer treatment items like a desk treadmill so she can do weight bearing exercise during the winter when Bend is too cold to walk outside. The exercise will offset side effects of hormone therapy that will decrease her bone density over time.

We have set a target of $25,000 that should be sufficient to fund her cancer-related needs. While this may seem like a lofty goal, any contribution, no matter how big or small, is the best way for us to give Marcia peace of mind to focus on her recovery and provide time to transition to a new job after she recovers.

Please keep Marcia in your thoughts and prayers as she goes through this difficult period. We are very thankful for any support you are able to provide to make Marcia’s journey a little less difficult. Marcia is a fighter, but she is even stronger with us by her side!

Tammy Tinkler (Marcia's Sister in Sydney Australia),
John Olinski (Former Boss & Friend from Lloyds Bank California), and
Mary King (Former Lloyds Bank Colleague & Bridesmaid in Marcia's Wedding)