Dear Family, Friends, and Strangers alike,

I am reaching out to everyone on behalf of my mother, Catherine.

Many of those who knew my mother while I was growing up knows how hard she worked raising four children as a single-mother. For those who do not know her, my mother is the strongest and most courageous woman I know. Catherine spent majority of her life growing up in Maine, then enlisted into the Navy for 4 years, and then started raising her family in Maine. As a mother particularly, she is as wonderful as they come. There isn't a mountain she wouldn't move for her children, always carrying their happiness and best interests in mind. She went to school full time and worked full time to achieve her nursing degrees (LPN and RN) while raising her four children. She devoted 25 years of service as a Registered Nurse, always tried to bring the best out of anyone and always put herself last to take care of others. To me, she was my role model, defined true work ethic, and she was the lifeblood of our family while growing up in our household. She is also a very loving and proud grandmother of 11 grandchildren.

Over the years, my mother has battled neuroendocrine cancer over the past 8 years. The past couple years have been very difficult for her. The cancer progressed to her liver, lungs, lymph nodes, gastrointestinal, and spleen. She has been undergoing many different forms of chemotherapy on top of the extensive list of medications. For those who do not know much about neuroendocrine tumors is that it is a very rare condition that greatly affects the gastrointestinal region which does take a dreadful toll on someone’s way of living at home or at work, and generally most people must file for disability (my mother did). To date, the treatments have been working such that the some of the legions in her lungs have reduced or disappeared.

Every month, she currently travels 200 miles round trip for her specialized oncology appointments and radiation treatments. She has local doctor appointments to address any of the side effects from chemo or her diabetes.

The bills have already begun to quickly pile up. There are many times that she financially cannot afford her medications or pay hospital bills and honestly it hurts to see her suffer physically and emotionally.

As her journey continues, I am seeking your support to help my mother re-acquire health insurance, cover medications and medical expenses, and avoid any additional financial hardship and additional stress.

Please give what you can to help her get through these tough times. Not only does her family need assistance with affording food and bills, but the cost to travel back and forth from all these appointments and procedures have been adding up quickly.

My mother is accustomed to putting her needs last. She is often referred to as tough, resilient, courageous, strong…she is all those things and more, but she shouldn’t have to do it alone.

At this point, it is time for her to get help from others.

How you can help:

• We truly believe any donation, large or small is extremely generous, will help immensely and is graciously appreciated! All donations will directly aid Catherine in her battle with cancer.

• Please share this post anywhere online, and spread the word about this campaign to your friends, family, and peers so that it can create a vastly positive impact.

• Sending positive thoughts, well-wishes, and prayers also provides the greatest comfort to Catherine & our entire family

Thank you for reading this, for your time, and for your compassion. We are hopeful to bring good news as we receive updates.

With all the love and the sincerest gratitude,

Catherine and the Lutz Family and Extended Family