Brenda Cutchin Cancer Support Fund
Our mom is battling terminal brain cancer and we want to help!
Who she is:
Brenda is an amazing woman. She is a 65 year old wife, mother of 3, grandmother, great grandmother, daughter and sister. She has spent her entire life taking care of others as an RN at Maryview and a case manager at Sentara. She is the best mom, and we are starting this campaign because our parents took care of us and now it's time to take care of them!
How it all began:
Brenda was diagnosed with Glioblastoma in November 2015 after experiencing neurological symptoms resembling a stroke. This is the most aggressive type of brain cancer. It is incurable. She had an emergency craniotomy two days later. The tumor was resected, however, her cancer was multi focal, meaning there was another tumor in a different location of her brain. This tumor was inoperable.
The treatments:
After six weeks of radiation and concurrent chemo, she began taking a maintenance dose of chemo. Brenda chose to have treatment through Duke University's Tisch Brain Tumor Center. They also diagnosed her with a blood clot in her leg, which is fairly common in brain cancer patients. In May she had two seizures which landed her in the hospital for several days. After the seizures, she had an MRI which showed regrowth of the resected tumor and growth of the inoperable tumor. The chemotherapy treatments were stopped in May after the MRI showed the cancer was growing. The high doses of chemo took a toll on her body. She struggles to keep her platelets at a safe level and has trouble walking. Being the fighter that she is, she opted to continue an alternative treatment using the Optune device. The device is an electrode cap that she wears most of the day.
Current situation:
Brenda was hospitalized on Monday, August 1, after experiencing chest pain. A CT was performed and the doctors discovered air in her abdomen which indicated a hole somewhere. She had a very extensive operation to repair a hole that was found in her small intestines. Now, she is currently in ICU, possible being moved to surgical step down in the next few days. The length of the stay is indeterminate at this time.
How you can help:
The cancer treatments, unexpected hospital stays, trips to Duke, and medical equipment all come with a financial price. The money raised will be used to help soften the burden of these unexpected expenses which rapidly add up. Any contribution is extremely helpful. If you can't contribute financially, you can always pray. This campaign was set up as a way to give back to the people who have given everything for their children while we were growing up and who has given so much to their community.
This means so much to us that you took the time to read her story. Thank you in advance for your kindness and support.