Help Zomer's Beat "C"

Back Again, July 2017

Well, we are back again. As you may recall, Tarrah was orignally diagnosed with Hodgkin's Lymphoma in August 2016. She underwent chemo and was ruled cancer-free in January 2017. Her doctor was so confident in her treatment he said that she was at an 85% chance of being free and clear for good and confident that this was all behind us. Tarrah was able to enjoy 3 months of "normal" until this past May. She started feeling off and that something wasn't right. Based on her previous symptopms she decided to follow up again with her oncologist again, just to be safe. In late May she received news that her Hodgkin's lymphoma had returned. After the initial shock and disbelief wore off, we put on our game face and prepared to meet this head on. 

The treatment plan this time was going to be different from the last. She was prescribed 3 rounds of in-patient chemotherapy to be followed by a stem cell transplant. The stem cell transplant is scheduled for early August 2017. This course of treatment has an extremely high success rate and we are confident that this chapter of life will shortly be behind us. However, it comes with a price.

Tarrah will have to take off the entire 1st semester of school (until January 2018) due to recovery and infection prevention from the transplant. While Tarrah will receive long-term disability, this will only cover a portion of her take home income. Compounding this is the fact that the children's health insurance is attached to Tarrah's employment, resulting in us having to pay nearly $500/month to the insurance company for their coverage.  Tarrah will be admitted at Emory for 3-4 weeks then must stay close by for the next 2 weeks for post treatment monitoring. These stays, as well as doctors appointments, travel for Nick and her mom, and the treatment itself is all very expensive. The financial stress will add as Tarrah won't have her normal pay check for the rest of 2017. 

If you feel led to give, anything will be appreciated! If you can't give, all prayers are welcome. Please specifically pray for the stem cell transplant to go smoothly with no complications, for Nick as he is starting a new job and playing the role for mom and dad for 6 weeks, and for Tarrah's mom and she helps fill in the gaps where she is needed. 

As before, Tarrah and Nick would not be able to do this without your love and support!

Our First Journey (Written August 2016)
Nick and Tarrah have been married for 9 years. They are both middle school teachers and have a true passion for teaching and reaching pre-teen kids. They have 3 beautiful children of their own: Quintin (8), Malakai (6), and Zoie (1). This family is one of the most loving, caring, and Christ centered families you will ever meet. In February of 2015, their dream of completing their family came true as they adopted sweet little Zoie.

In the summer of 2016, Tarrah noticed a lump under her arm and took necessary measures to get it checked out. After multiple doctors and appointments, she was given the news that she had stage 4 Hodgkin’s Lymphoma Cancer. An aggressive chemo plan is in place and then doctors will reassess the next steps.

One day at a time. Tarrah plans to work as much as she can but knows there will be days her body needs rest. When the dream of adopting Zoie came true, Tarrah was forced to use her sick leave time for the adoption leave, resulting in few sick leave days remaining. Medical bills are piling high. Daycare expenses and their regular bills and utilities still have to be paid. Each day that Tarrah does not work, her pay is docked. We are hoping to ease some of the financial burden so The Zomer's can focus on Tarrah's health and live life as normal as possible for the kids. Tarrah and Nick have the best possible mindset and are one of the strongest couples I know. Please keep the Zomer's in your prayers and if you feel led to donate, they will be forever grateful!