My daughter, Tricia Crabbe, was diagnosed with Stage 4 ovarian cancer in March of this year. Unfortunately, the cancer has spread throughout her abdomen. She has been undergoing intensive chemotherapy for the past couple months and is scheduled for surgery on May 15th at Froedert Hospital in Milwaukee. She will continue with chemo treatments after surgery. Unfortunately, her oncologist informed us ovarian cancer is considered a chronic disease. It is something she will deal with her entire life. This was devastating news but we are hopeful that she will be one of the exceptions to the rule. I always tell her, she is not a statistic. She is young, she is strong, and she can beat the odds.

Tricia is a home health care nurse by profession. She knows about cancer and the effects of chemo on the body as she has cared for patients going through what she is going through now. She has always been a pillar of strength and encouragement for her clients. Now, it is Tricia that needs encouragement and support to make it through each day. Tricia knows she is not alone in this journey. She is blessed with a very supportive family and wonderful friends.

Tricia had no choice but to stop working due to unbearable abdominal pain, nausea and fatigue. She filed for short term disability with her employer but she was denied because her employer listed her status as part-time. Yet, she worked full-time for many years. She has been fighting with her employer and the insurance company to no avail to correct her status and give her the full time benefits she should have had all this time. Today, the insurance company told her there is nothing they can do. She called me in shock and in desperation. Their savings are almost depleted and she doesn’t know how they will be able to keep up with their monthly bills and added medical expenses. I know her anxiety is through the roof. It’s hard enough to deal with all the medical treatment and fear of surgery, but then to deal with financial stress on top of it, it is just too much to bear.

If you know my daughter, you know she is a very private person. She doesn’t share personal things on facebook, she doesn’t talk about private issues, especially finances. Setting up a Go Fund Me page was difficult for her, for me. But I have had so many people ask how they can help her during this difficult time, I thought maybe this site could provide that avenue to help her during this time of need. She agreed to allow me to set it up for her.

Thank you for keeping our daughter in your prayers.

Ina & Paul Tahlier