Lets Help Gigi!

In October 2018, Cyndi (McCurry) England, also known as Gigi to many, was diagnosed with Multiple Myeloma Cancer. Since Gigi's diagnosis, it has been a long and hard road for Gigi and her family. Multiple Myeloma is a incurable blood cancer that can only be managed with extensive and painful treatment including a Stem Cell Transplant, if it is successful. Unfortunately, Gigi had some existing health problems that needed to be taken care of before she could receive the transplant. Gigi underwent open heart surgery to prepare for her Stem Cell transplant. After that hurdle was jumped, Gigi's daughter, Chelsea, began the battle with private insurance to cover the 20% cost of the transplant that Medicare did not cover. After 9 months of fighting insurance, Chelsea had Gigi's care switched from Plano Medical Center to Stevenson Cancer Center in Oklahoma City.

When Gigi went to the Cancer Center in October of 2019 to sign all the required documents for the Stem Cell Transplant scheduled for the next week, she was told that she needed to be on a blood thinner for a full year after her open heart surgery. She would have then been required to be hospitalized over the Christmas Holiday, so Gigi and her family decided to postpone the treatment just a bit longer so they could spend the holiday together. Gigi was scheduled to have the transplant done in March. Little did they know the impact COVID-19 would have on Gigi's treatment plan.

Because of COVID-19, the transplant was postponed for a 3rd time and Gigi was finally admitted to the OU Medical Center, on May 26th, 2020 to have her transplant. Due to COVID-19, Gigi had to undergo this procedure and hospitalization all alone.

On the 11th of June, Gigi was released to come home only to have to be Medflighted back to Oklahoma City with a 102 fever and potassium and magnesium levels that were fatally low. With God's Grace, she pulled through and was released to come home with Chelsea on June 22nd, 2020.

Gigi's illness cannot be cured, but it can be managed. However, she will gradually decline as the days pass. To make moving around her home easier, the family is creating this page to collect funds to help pay for handi-capable renovations to Gigi's home which include adding a ramp, installing a handi-capable shower, and widening doorways for her walker or wheelchair to enter. These renovations are extremely important and necessary because Multiple Myeloma causes bone lesions which causes the bones to be weak and brittle. If Gigi were to walk without her walker, she could fall and easily do lots of damage to her already weak body. This would cause many more obstacles for Gigi including added risk of infection which could be fatal.

Gigi, Chelsea, and their family are extremely grateful that you took the time to learn about their battle with Multiple Myeloma and cannot thank you enough for aiding in improving Gigi's quality of life and making her home more accessible.