Hi, I'm Angie, and I'm fundraising to help my mother, Susan Fischer, with travel and medical expenses.

Many of you know that Susan was diagnosed with cancer in 2021, and has been enduring intensive treatment since then. Recently, it was determined by her oncology team that the treatments available to them were no longer effective, and that the options they could offer her had run out. They gave a rather dismal prognosis, and suggested that she consider hospice care, and get her affairs in order. After a couple weeks of trying to accept this fate, searching her heart, and praying for guidance, she knew that she was not ready to stop fighting.

This is where the story takes a hopeful turn.

Knowing that she was not at all ready to throw in the towel and invite hospice to take over her care, she went to her last appointment at the Cancer Center in Sturgeon Bay prepared for the worst, but hopeful for something better. During that appointment, a referral was made to the Oncology Department at Froedert Hospital in Milwaukee.

With a glimmer of hope in hand, the trek to Milwaukee was made, and my mom had an incredibly positive and uplifting visit with their lung cancer specialist, Dr. Chen. Not only did they have several options to offer for continuing treatment, but they were very optimistic and said they would be going for a CURATIVE effect! Now, at this point in the game, objectively, we're aware that that is a tall order, but to offer someone that kind of hope is no small thing, and good medicine in itself.

So, a fork has now been found in my mother's path to wellness, and considering the alternative, she is ready to begin a new phase of her journey. This new path has a good bit more sunshine than the one she had been on, but it won't be an easy road to walk.

And that brings us to now, to you reading this.

Dr. Chen's proposed treatment plan begins with radiation. 30 rounds in fact, which will hopefully knock the socks off of the main troublemaker, a large tumor in her lung that has been growing considerably in a relatively short time, and was the main player in the dismal prognosis I mentioned earlier. This plan will require an arduous schedule of Monday through Friday in Milwaukee, with weekends off. This entails travel from Sturgeon Bay to Milwaukee at least twice a week, and somewhere to stay the nights she will be in the city. And really, that's just the beginning. If radiation goes well and good progress is seen, there will be more to come, and we aren't sure what that will look like quite yet.

The cost of this will be considerable, and could derail this train before it even gets moving. Sadly, too many people are familiar with this situation, and have been forced to sacrifice life-saving treatment simply because of the cost. Thankfully, most, if not all of the actual treatment will be covered by insurance as far as we know, but we're left with travel, lodging, and co-pay expenses.

My family and I are incredibly grateful to be part of a community that continues to go above and beyond to help those who need it. So many of you showed us so much love and support a few months back when we reached out to get my brother Matthew home for a visit when we all needed him here for a bit. I can't begin to tell you what that means to all of us.

It's not always easy to ask for help, but once again, we turn to our generous and strong community to help Susan take this chance to find healing. Your donations will help provide a safe ride, gas in the tank, a warm bed, and a full belly for someone who has been shown a light in a very dark place. With your help, she can reach that light.

Please consider a donation, any little bit helps, and please share this fundraiser and spread the word.

All the love from the Fischer-Raddatz-Ramsay tribe ❤️