Relief for Rheannon
Doação protegida
Hello! Let me start off by saying that we all appreciate you for taking the time to read about our campaign. My name is Myca Beller and this is my cousin, Rheannon Wingrove's Story...
Rheannon (age 36) is a loving mother, wife, daughter, niece, cousin and much more! She has been married to Joe (age 37), a wonderful, goofy man who loves her to no end for the last 15 years. She is the mother to 3 beautiful children: Jordyn (age 12), Ethan (age 10 ), and her youngest, Ava (age 9). This year hasn't been the easiest for Rheannon between her health issues and losing her beloved mother (her best friend) in January after a short battle with ovarian cancer.
Rheannons Tumor Journey:
On 9/29/05 Rheannon gave birth to her second child, a beautiful baby boy that they named Ethan. Immediately after giving birth Rheannon began to experience horrible headaches. Being a new mother, though, she just wanted to focus on the new addition to her family. A few days laterthough, in October, when she could no longer stand the pain, her husband, Joe, took her to St. Joseph’s Hospital in Parkersburg, WV. That’s where the doctors discovered that she had an Ependymoma Type II tumor at the base of her brain and on her brainstem that was the size of a golf ball. The tumor was causing her to have swelling of the brain, which was producing her terrible headaches. They were then given the option of staying there for the surgery or transferring elsewhere and decided to transfer to another hospital that had more experience dealing with her issues. They then decided to go to Ruby Memorial Hospital/WVU in Morgantown, West Virginia.
Needing immediate surgery, the doctors got her in quickly. The doctors performed a craniotomy on her, removing the base of her skull to grant them access to perform the much needed surgery. Once they successfully removed the tumor they replaced the now missing part of her skull with a titanium plate.
Following surgery Rheannon was unable to keep her balance and had learn how to walk all over again with the assistance of physical therapy. Her whole right side weakened, contributing to the balance and walking issues. She also experienced very bad double vision, inhibiting her from doing everyday activities that we all take for granted, having to wear an eyepatch to help her recover. It took her 3 months to get her back to a place where she could actually function somewhat like she had previously. Though never back to how she was before the tumor.
Surgery 2 & 3:
She went back for routine checkups and after a few years went by Rheannon was informed that it looked as if it was starting to grow back. Scared and terrified (like anyone would be) Rheannon stopped going to the checkups. In November of 2012 Rheannon’s terrible headaches were back once again with a vengeance. Her husband, Joe, took her to the Emergency Room at St. Joseph’s Hospital (Parkersburg, WV). Once back, the doctors took her for an immediate MRI and discovered that instead of a golf ball sized tumor, like her previous one, that this new regrowth was the size of a tennis ball. They wanted to do surgery immediately, but Rheannon wanted to be transferred to the previous hospital she had her first surgery in Morgantown, WV. Rheannon was at this point in the ICU , in a seizure proof bed, on constant medications to keep her from dying. They transported her in a critical care ambulance to Ruby Memorial Hospital/WVU. There she had the emergency surgery to remove the tumor once again. They were unable to remove the whole tumor at once due to the extremely swelling of her brain. A few days later they had to perform surgery again to get the remainder of the tumor.
Afterwards, Rheannon had to go through physical therapy to deal once more with her right side weakness along with some of the same issues that she had after her first surgery. This time, though, the issues with the right side made it so Rheannon had to learn how to write with her left hand.
After that Rheannon went to her checkups. During one of these regular checkups in the summer 2015 she was informed that the tumor was back once more, and this time it was grape sized. Rheannon and her husband then talked to her surgeons in Morgantown, WV to create a game plan to combat this latest tumor. When the doctors decided the best course of action for surgery, and this time with the additions of gamma knife and radiation treatments, Rheannon again became terrified. And like before, she started to put it off.
The Push She Needed:
The beginning of December that same year her mother became extremely ill. Later they learned that she had ovarian cancer. Her mother lost her battle on January 10, 2016. After watching her mother deteriorate and then pass away in front of her she finally got the push and courage she needed to have the tumor removed again. Knowing that she did not want her 3 small children to go through what she just experienced.
That brings us to her latest, and hopefully last, surgery
Surgery 4:
Rheannon discovered UPMC Presbyterian had a CERN (Collaborative Ependymoma Research Network) who are experts in dealing with her type of tumor. She had another MRI to see if the tumor had grown more since the summer. Her tumor was now the size of a plum and they discovered that she also had another one growing on her left temporal lobe and it was the size of a grape. After meeting with her new doctors and once again coming up with a plan they began the journey to our latest surgery...
Rheannon was scheduled for surgery on 6/1/16. The doctors became concerned because blood tests from the previous day and early that morning had returned with results saying that her blood is thicker than what is considered to be a “normal” range, implying that because of this issue, she was at a higher risk for blood clots. What that meant for the doctor was that the surgery team would have to redo her surgery plan to include contingencies that would allow them to deal with her blood issues if they arose. Her surgery was then rescheduled for the following Wednesday, 6/8/16.
On that day Rheannon was finally able to get her surgery. Afterwards the doctor spoke to the family and told us that he was very happy with the way the removal of the tumor went. He also explained to us that Rheannon was having difficulty with her gag reflex and other muscles with her throat. They had initially removed her intubation tube (extubation) and discovered the issue. That is when they made the call to intubate her once again. Standard procedure for her type of operation means staying in the ICU for at least a day, but because of this issue we are unsure of when she will get moved to a regular room, and eventually go home.
We are hoping to raise $5000.00 to help with the current costs of our extended stay in Pittsburgh. We had hoped that Rheannon would be ready to go home soon after her surgery, but like everything in life, the unexpected happens even with the best laid plans. Rheannon's husband, Joe, her aunt, Carla, and myself are here to be with her as much as the ICU lets us right now and onced she is moved to a regular room one of us will be with her 24/7. We have been blessed to be able to stay at a local family house, but even that cost is adding up. We are planning to use the money for housing, food, and other daily living necessities that we all will need. Any money that we receive that is over what we need for those items will go toward Rheannon's extensive medical bills.
Anything that you can donate would be greatly appreciated. Appreciated beyond all the words I could ever dream of to express just how grateful we will be. Even if you cannot give, we ask that you keep Rheannon, her family and the wonderful staff of UPMC Presbyterian in your prayers.
Again, thank you for taking the time to read our story. God Bless!
Rheannon (age 36) is a loving mother, wife, daughter, niece, cousin and much more! She has been married to Joe (age 37), a wonderful, goofy man who loves her to no end for the last 15 years. She is the mother to 3 beautiful children: Jordyn (age 12), Ethan (age 10 ), and her youngest, Ava (age 9). This year hasn't been the easiest for Rheannon between her health issues and losing her beloved mother (her best friend) in January after a short battle with ovarian cancer.
Rheannons Tumor Journey:
On 9/29/05 Rheannon gave birth to her second child, a beautiful baby boy that they named Ethan. Immediately after giving birth Rheannon began to experience horrible headaches. Being a new mother, though, she just wanted to focus on the new addition to her family. A few days laterthough, in October, when she could no longer stand the pain, her husband, Joe, took her to St. Joseph’s Hospital in Parkersburg, WV. That’s where the doctors discovered that she had an Ependymoma Type II tumor at the base of her brain and on her brainstem that was the size of a golf ball. The tumor was causing her to have swelling of the brain, which was producing her terrible headaches. They were then given the option of staying there for the surgery or transferring elsewhere and decided to transfer to another hospital that had more experience dealing with her issues. They then decided to go to Ruby Memorial Hospital/WVU in Morgantown, West Virginia.
Needing immediate surgery, the doctors got her in quickly. The doctors performed a craniotomy on her, removing the base of her skull to grant them access to perform the much needed surgery. Once they successfully removed the tumor they replaced the now missing part of her skull with a titanium plate.
Following surgery Rheannon was unable to keep her balance and had learn how to walk all over again with the assistance of physical therapy. Her whole right side weakened, contributing to the balance and walking issues. She also experienced very bad double vision, inhibiting her from doing everyday activities that we all take for granted, having to wear an eyepatch to help her recover. It took her 3 months to get her back to a place where she could actually function somewhat like she had previously. Though never back to how she was before the tumor.
Surgery 2 & 3:
She went back for routine checkups and after a few years went by Rheannon was informed that it looked as if it was starting to grow back. Scared and terrified (like anyone would be) Rheannon stopped going to the checkups. In November of 2012 Rheannon’s terrible headaches were back once again with a vengeance. Her husband, Joe, took her to the Emergency Room at St. Joseph’s Hospital (Parkersburg, WV). Once back, the doctors took her for an immediate MRI and discovered that instead of a golf ball sized tumor, like her previous one, that this new regrowth was the size of a tennis ball. They wanted to do surgery immediately, but Rheannon wanted to be transferred to the previous hospital she had her first surgery in Morgantown, WV. Rheannon was at this point in the ICU , in a seizure proof bed, on constant medications to keep her from dying. They transported her in a critical care ambulance to Ruby Memorial Hospital/WVU. There she had the emergency surgery to remove the tumor once again. They were unable to remove the whole tumor at once due to the extremely swelling of her brain. A few days later they had to perform surgery again to get the remainder of the tumor.
Afterwards, Rheannon had to go through physical therapy to deal once more with her right side weakness along with some of the same issues that she had after her first surgery. This time, though, the issues with the right side made it so Rheannon had to learn how to write with her left hand.
After that Rheannon went to her checkups. During one of these regular checkups in the summer 2015 she was informed that the tumor was back once more, and this time it was grape sized. Rheannon and her husband then talked to her surgeons in Morgantown, WV to create a game plan to combat this latest tumor. When the doctors decided the best course of action for surgery, and this time with the additions of gamma knife and radiation treatments, Rheannon again became terrified. And like before, she started to put it off.
The Push She Needed:
The beginning of December that same year her mother became extremely ill. Later they learned that she had ovarian cancer. Her mother lost her battle on January 10, 2016. After watching her mother deteriorate and then pass away in front of her she finally got the push and courage she needed to have the tumor removed again. Knowing that she did not want her 3 small children to go through what she just experienced.
That brings us to her latest, and hopefully last, surgery
Surgery 4:
Rheannon discovered UPMC Presbyterian had a CERN (Collaborative Ependymoma Research Network) who are experts in dealing with her type of tumor. She had another MRI to see if the tumor had grown more since the summer. Her tumor was now the size of a plum and they discovered that she also had another one growing on her left temporal lobe and it was the size of a grape. After meeting with her new doctors and once again coming up with a plan they began the journey to our latest surgery...
Rheannon was scheduled for surgery on 6/1/16. The doctors became concerned because blood tests from the previous day and early that morning had returned with results saying that her blood is thicker than what is considered to be a “normal” range, implying that because of this issue, she was at a higher risk for blood clots. What that meant for the doctor was that the surgery team would have to redo her surgery plan to include contingencies that would allow them to deal with her blood issues if they arose. Her surgery was then rescheduled for the following Wednesday, 6/8/16.
On that day Rheannon was finally able to get her surgery. Afterwards the doctor spoke to the family and told us that he was very happy with the way the removal of the tumor went. He also explained to us that Rheannon was having difficulty with her gag reflex and other muscles with her throat. They had initially removed her intubation tube (extubation) and discovered the issue. That is when they made the call to intubate her once again. Standard procedure for her type of operation means staying in the ICU for at least a day, but because of this issue we are unsure of when she will get moved to a regular room, and eventually go home.
We are hoping to raise $5000.00 to help with the current costs of our extended stay in Pittsburgh. We had hoped that Rheannon would be ready to go home soon after her surgery, but like everything in life, the unexpected happens even with the best laid plans. Rheannon's husband, Joe, her aunt, Carla, and myself are here to be with her as much as the ICU lets us right now and onced she is moved to a regular room one of us will be with her 24/7. We have been blessed to be able to stay at a local family house, but even that cost is adding up. We are planning to use the money for housing, food, and other daily living necessities that we all will need. Any money that we receive that is over what we need for those items will go toward Rheannon's extensive medical bills.
Anything that you can donate would be greatly appreciated. Appreciated beyond all the words I could ever dream of to express just how grateful we will be. Even if you cannot give, we ask that you keep Rheannon, her family and the wonderful staff of UPMC Presbyterian in your prayers.
Again, thank you for taking the time to read our story. God Bless!
Organizador e beneficiário
Myca Lynn Beller
Organizador
Oklahoma City, OK
Rheannon Wingrove
Beneficiário