"Rally around Rebecca"

Hello everyone, hoping all is well this Holiday Season. I’m starting this Go Fund Me page because I need your help. Many of you have followed my brother Clint and my sister in law Rebecca’s journey. For those who are unaware, here is their story. Clint and Rebecca met 6 years ago. Clint a school teacher and Rebecca a nurse.  Rebecca came into this relationship with a 1 ½ year old son named Donovan ( who we love ). Clint was so smitten with the both of them. They fell in love , got married, had a second baby boy named Kiehl and Clint adopted Donovan. Their life was just sweet and simple. They bought a house on an old Christmas tree farm in Lafayette. Life was good. Then a bomb dropped.. when  Kiehl was just  6 weeks old ,Rebecca was diagnosed with a brain tumor at the base of her brain. She immediately had major surgery removing 60% of the tumor, leaving the other 40% because it was wrapped tightly in nerve tracking. The good news was the tumor was benign, the bad news was that it might grow back. Her team of doctors decided to monitor this tumor every three months. After 1 ½ years the tumor grew back. Clint and Rebecca decided to get a second opinion. They found a wonderful doctor at Duke in NC. She had a second brain surgery in March of 2014.Surgery went the same as the last. They could only remove the 60% because of the nerves wrapped around the rest. Rebecca recovered for 2 months, and then her team of docs at Duke advised her she HAD to have radiation. They can’t keep opening her brain every other year, and they can’t let this tumor just grow because it could take her life. Clint and Rebecca were terrified of this idea, but know they had no choice.  She started 6 weeks of radiation at Strong Memorial Hospital in Rochester. She lived there all week , then would see Clint and kids on the weekends.  Rebecca did really well with the radiation. She was pleasantly surprised. She was excited when radiation came to an end. She was ready to do yoga and Zumba. She was excited to hike, garden, go camping and just hang out with her boys. After radiation things unfortunately started to slowly change. She was getting very dizzy, she would experience some weakness in her legs at times. Her doc thought it was just some inflammation due to radiation ( very common).           They prescribed her steroids and some PT. She wasn’t getting better, she actually was getting worse. She started to drag her right leg… which led to using a cane… and finally a walker. As of 5 weeks ago, Rebecca can’t use her lower extremeties.  She was admitted into Strong Memorial and hasn’t come back home. Her blood pressure is very low. The doctors claim this is a result of damage to the brain from the radiation. Brain tissue is actually dying  off. As of this past week she can’t use her arms… my brother  is completely distraught to see his wife so lifeless, so sad and so frustrated. The kids are 7 and 4 , they are just scared. Then there’s Rebecca, a woman who loved life and loved her family. I ache so much for all of them. My brother has so much pride, but I need to so this for him. He has been out of work for 5 weeks, and his time is slowly coming to an end.  I just want to raise as many donations as I can to help with any financial burdens. Please consider donating any denomination to this beautiful family. I know it’s a lot to ask with the Holidays around the corner. And it’s ok if you cant. I thank you from the bottom of my heart.

LOVE Wendy Ransom