Nicole Kephart

Nicole has been diagnosed with glioblastoma - a Level 4 aggressive brain cancer with no complete cure or remission. It was discovered October 18, 2020, when she attempted to get up for the day and slid to the floor instead. She was unable to get back up and called for help. She was taken to the ER where a CT scan and MRI were done. The results showed a mass the size of a chicken egg in her left brain and significant swelling that stretched across almost the whole left hemisphere. On October 20, 2020, surgery was performed to remove as much of the mass as possible and a biopsy was ordered. Unfortunately blood flow to a nearby part of her brain was interrupted during surgery. This was likely due to the original blood supply being compromised which resulted in another blood vessel compensating. Since this blood vessel was not expected to be the main blood supply, it was severed inadvertently during the tumor removal. It took almost 3 days for Nicole to wake up and it was then known that she was paralyzed on her right side. Therapies were started to help her regain function. Nicole is now at a Skilled Nursing Facility for rehabilitation. She has regained most of her speech and is working with speech therapy on swallowing. She is beginning to sing again. As a member of multiple choirs in the Portland area, her tenor voice and enthusiasm has always been appreciated. Unfortunately she currently can not walk, stand, or use her right arm/hand. This means that all transportation to appointments must be done via wheelchair van. Nicole has chosen to fight the cancer so the plan is for her to begin chemotherapy and radiation therapy on November 30th. Unfortunately she can not start treatment for the cancer if she is in a skilled nursing facility so she must be moved somewhere else by November 30th. The application for government assistance has been started but it will likely take until January to have the application processed and a care plan put in place. In the meantime, insurance will not pay for transportation to treatment nor for the care facility where she will need to stay while in treatment. She will also have a large co-pay related to her further rehabilitation when she is finished with radiation/chemotherapy. She has only her monthly Social Security income to pay for a number of expenses related to cancer treatment and rehabilitation. Without the generosity of others, she will not be able to get to cancer treatment or receive care while receiving treatment. Thank you in advance for anything that is possible including positive thoughts and prayers. To learn more about her progress, please visit CaringBridge.org.