Kayla, 21, Stage IV Gliosarcoma

This isn't an easy thing to do, but I am asking anyone and everyone to please donate what you can to my daughter Kayla Gajeton's medical expenses and living expenses.

We haven't had an actual diagnosis, but Kayla is underinsured and right now considered self-pay because she just turned 21 and her Tricare was cut off. Her father is trying to get her added back on because she is a full time student, but in all honesty if she does get approved and things take a turn for the worst, she will lose that coverage as well in December. She has to remain a full time student to continue coverage, and unfortunately doesn't qualify for medicaid here in North Carolina.

I am not going to be able to accept an upcoming job and leave what I was doing in self-employment to be able to care for my daughter. She had two seizures September 15, 2016. 5 days after turning 21. She is supposed to be living the time of her life right now. She has a supportive family, a loving boyfriend, and friends and coworkers who she is enjoying life with.

We have decided to have her treatment done at MUSC instead of Duke due to us having no family up here and I still have other children to care for.

The CT Scan and MRI shows a 3cm mass on the left frontal lobe of her brain. The cannot say what it is at the moment because she was healthy and doesn't have a baseline MRI and CT scan to compare, but they are thinking a type of glioma. They don't want to biopsy until she has another MRI soon. She has since went to the ER again because of a spinal headache and they did another CT scan. It is a tumor. They did a spinal tap while she was hospitalized for 4 days. They ruled out meningitis and MS. We have been told there will probably be a biopsy to follow shortly after they see what's going on and she has already been referred to a neurologist and an oncologist and needs immediate medical treatment.  Until she has insurance, they won't see her and we have no money left to pay for it.  We used all of our savings for what just happened.

Kayla is in her 2nd year of college and fortunately left Western Carolina University, to attend college closer to home so she can work longer hours and more stable hours because she doesn't receive financial aid and she has a car payment.  She is a server at PF Changs in Raleigh and works 40-50 hours a week, to now waiting to be cleared for work, or to getting a brain biopsy, which is major surgery, not to mention what will possibly follow after that.  I am thankful that she was closer to home when this happened to her.  My little dancer, who used to dance for SKIP Entertainment Company on Guam when she was smaller got accepted into the color guard at Western Carolina University her freshman year of college and got to perform at the Thanksgiving Macy's Day Parade in 2014.  No matter what Kayla has done in her life, she has always overcome challenges and obstacles.  She worked in high school at Tijuana Flats, and was in the color guard and has been through some pretty tough times in her life, with moving around a lot due to the military and her father and I's divorce and me starting over so my kids have a chance at life.  She is pretty headstrong and a hard working person.  She originally wanted to become a heart surgeon, but changed her mind to radiology.  Either way, we were proud of her.  She has a lot of family and friends who love her dearly and we have received some pretty disturbing news about her health that has impacted the lives of everyone closest to her.  The challenge that lies ahead is one I know Kayla can handle, but the worries and stress of taking a leave of absence from work, possibly not being able to finish out this semester of college, and mounting medical and personal bills of hers has her a bit overwhelmed as well as her student loan debt.

This has hit all of us very hard.  They have her on anti-seizure meds for the next two weeks until the next MRI and she cannot drive.  She is on a leave of absence from work because she is on day 4 of a spinal headache from her lumbar puncture and she cannot attend her classes as of now.  We are taking this day by day, but her medical bills are mounting and Kayla, myself, and her brothers and sisters all are having to relocate to Charleston, SC to be near family while Kayla has these procedures done.  We are all hoping for a miracle, but her medical bills are already very high, and we cannot even get her into a follow up because she is still self pay in the system. 

We have exhausted all savings paying for her medicine and procedures with what we had.

I am not asking for much, but our income is going to be cut in half when we make this move, and Kayla will be facing this challenge with not only worries about if her life will be affected permanently, but she already is going to be in debt as well and worried about us.  She shouldn't be worrying about anyone but herself, but she has blossomed so much into a young lady who cares about others and has grown so much since high school.

I will be posting updates, but this is a wait and see process that isn't looking to be good at the moment.  We are all praying it isn't cancer, but considering a tumor in the brain, it's serious no matter how you look at it.  

Please help my baby.  I would trade places with her if I could.  This is all I can do to help alleviate her bills and our living expenses to make things as comfortable as we can for her. 

I own a home here in NC and just cannot do it alone up here.  We have to be near family and friends for physical support, but financially this is going to kill us.  We stand to lose everything we have and are praying for a miracle and that this will be just a small roadblock in her life.  

If you can't financially help, I would love everyone to please send her positive thoughts and prayers.  Anything helps.  We don't normally ask for anything like this, but we are in despirate need for help with her medical bills, and relocation expenses for her, myself, niece Allison, and her 2 brothers, and 5 sisters.  We are a large family, who up until this point, has did everything on our own.  Her younger siblings are in private school here in NC and all of our lives will change and we are family.  Family sticks together.  We will all give up our comforts for Kayla.  I just want to make this as comfortable for her as I can.  

Her step father has to stay in NC to keep from losing our home and construction business.  Her biological father is in the process of trying to get humanitarian orders back to the United States to be closer to her because he is Active Duty Army and currently just got stationed in Italy in August.  

That means the sole person able to be there 100% physically is myself and this isn't going to be easy.

We aren't asking for a handout.  We are asking for genuine help.  I don't care if it's $.25 or a positive message.  Every little bit helps.

She can get through this.  She will get through this.

She is my "little fruit".  I don't only see my 21 year old daughter, I see my sweet little baby girl, whose cheeks were so rosy and plump like a peach.  It's why she was called "little fruit".  

I don't want to lose my baby girl.  These worries of financial issues aren't as great as that.  I don't want Kayla to worry about us.  I would give up anything for my children.  She is sad and she is worried and I wouldn't be asking if I knew she wouldn't be worried about placing blame on herself for the sacrifices we are about to make for each other in her behalf.  If I could take it all away from her I would, but this is all I can do.

Please pray for our Kayla and that this is just another stepping stone to get over until the next stage of her life.

Thank you for your support!

Melissa Gallegos and family