Earlier this year, my sister-in-law Shari began experiencing severe blurry vision in her right eye. Fearing a detached retina, she decided to address it at a local eye care center in St Joseph, MI. 

Great Lakes Eye Care quickly picked up on a tumor in her eye and referred her to an oncologist in Grand Rapids that would diagnose her with ocular melanoma, a very rare form (1 out of 200,000) of cancer. 

Wheels turned quickly and, given the initial scans of the eye, Shari was accepted into the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, MN for further evaluation and diagnoses. There, Shari had her eye removed and received the news that this cancer had metastasized to the liver. The words that no one with this diagnosis wants to hear. 

After enucleation (medical term for removal of the eye), Shari was fitted for a prosthetic eye. Through coordination of the Mayo Clinic and efforts of her husband, Tom, Shari was soon accepted as a patient at the Sidney Kimmel Cancer Center at Thomas Jefferson University Hospital in Philadelphia, one of the only clinics in the nation that specializes in ocular melanoma. 

After four rounds of immunoembolization in PA, Shari’s scans were not showing the kind of response her doctors had hoped. The doctors and Shari’s family decided to change the course of treatment with chemo-embolization, directly targeting her liver. We are currently awaiting test results to see if the chemo-embolization was effective enough to continue more treatment, in the hopes that this cancer will stop growing so aggressively and only require routine maintenance. 

Anyone who knows Shari will testify to the beauty and resilience of her character. She is a loving and passionate mother of three to Luke, Samantha and Elizabeth, as well as a wife, daughter, sister, and friend. Her work ethic and excitement for life is nothing less than astonishing. Through all of this discouraging news, Shari has continued to find joy in her days and purpose in her life. She is a model of strength and can always find a silver lining. 

As you can imagine, travel costs and medical expenses that insurance has not covered have added up majorly during this time. Any amount you are able to donate, small or large, to lessen this financial burden is received with gratitude and hope for the ability to continue pursuing the options we have available without the stress. 

Shari and her family will continue to make the best out of a heartbreaking situation and fight for her life. Your contribution will be going towards a relief of some sorts and put a smile on her face through all of this pain, as she has likely put a smile on yours. 

Thank you so much,

Pam