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My name is Sheila Bruening. I am a grateful partner and proud mother to a beautiful daughter and many fur babies. My companion and I, along with our animals, live on our farm on the Big Island in Hawaii. Three years ago, I was diagnosed with ovarian cancer. I need your help with medical and living expenses for the next year, as I fight for my life.
In April of 2018, I started having severe abdominal pain and pressure with constipation. I went on Web MD (like most people these days) and one of the possible problems for these symptoms given was ovarian cancer. I quickly dismissed this diagnosis however, because I had a full hysterectomy many years earlier. Tired of the pain, I finally went to the ER. Further testing led to the discovery of a 15 cm tumor in my lower abdomen. Turns out the hysterectomy left behind a bit of tissue which grew into a mass. Fast forward to an official diagnosis: clear cell carcinoma.
I was given 6 months to live; 8 months if I agreed to chemotherapy. My many years as a Nurse has played an integral part in my decision to pursue a holistic approach to treating my cancer. I decided that if I had less than a year left, I was going to enjoy living, not be sick until I died. No two patients are the same, so why should my treatment be “one-size-fits-all”? Fast forward to year 3 and I am still fighting.
For the last 10 years, myself, my partner, and our ‘ohana have lived and worked on our family farm, and I believe it’s one of the main things that has helped me thus far; it gives me a sense of purpose.
Sustainable agriculture is a passion of mine and getting up every morning to feed my animals and tend to the farm has been wonderfully therapeutic, even with cancer amid COVID.
Unfortunately, I will have step away for a bit; the island does not offer non-toxic therapies, so I will have to relocate to the mainland. I was given a referral to an Integrated Medical Center in Reno, NV and was told that because of my DVT it is too dangerous for me to fly traditionally, so I will have to be air-lifted.
Upon arriving to the mainland, I will begin my non-toxic cancer therapy right away, and will keep you up to speed on my progress every step of the way. The goal is to raise $120,000, which will be used for the air lift, cancer treatment, and general living expenses, and keeping the farm running while I am away. No donation is too small. We are extremely grateful for anything you can donate, and nothing will go unnoticed.
This diagnosis has taught me a valuable lesson: that every moment is precious, and we should never take time for granted. My goal upon returning to the island is to teach younger generations how to enhance the quality of life for farm families and communities by having a say in the foods they eat, and continue to use the farm to provide organic, healthy, and sustainable food for generations to come. I want to continue the
agricultural tradition of farming while producing meaningful, mindful, and healthy ways to provide food for the community at large.
In April of 2018, I started having severe abdominal pain and pressure with constipation. I went on Web MD (like most people these days) and one of the possible problems for these symptoms given was ovarian cancer. I quickly dismissed this diagnosis however, because I had a full hysterectomy many years earlier. Tired of the pain, I finally went to the ER. Further testing led to the discovery of a 15 cm tumor in my lower abdomen. Turns out the hysterectomy left behind a bit of tissue which grew into a mass. Fast forward to an official diagnosis: clear cell carcinoma.
I was given 6 months to live; 8 months if I agreed to chemotherapy. My many years as a Nurse has played an integral part in my decision to pursue a holistic approach to treating my cancer. I decided that if I had less than a year left, I was going to enjoy living, not be sick until I died. No two patients are the same, so why should my treatment be “one-size-fits-all”? Fast forward to year 3 and I am still fighting.
For the last 10 years, myself, my partner, and our ‘ohana have lived and worked on our family farm, and I believe it’s one of the main things that has helped me thus far; it gives me a sense of purpose.
Sustainable agriculture is a passion of mine and getting up every morning to feed my animals and tend to the farm has been wonderfully therapeutic, even with cancer amid COVID.
Unfortunately, I will have step away for a bit; the island does not offer non-toxic therapies, so I will have to relocate to the mainland. I was given a referral to an Integrated Medical Center in Reno, NV and was told that because of my DVT it is too dangerous for me to fly traditionally, so I will have to be air-lifted.
Upon arriving to the mainland, I will begin my non-toxic cancer therapy right away, and will keep you up to speed on my progress every step of the way. The goal is to raise $120,000, which will be used for the air lift, cancer treatment, and general living expenses, and keeping the farm running while I am away. No donation is too small. We are extremely grateful for anything you can donate, and nothing will go unnoticed.
This diagnosis has taught me a valuable lesson: that every moment is precious, and we should never take time for granted. My goal upon returning to the island is to teach younger generations how to enhance the quality of life for farm families and communities by having a say in the foods they eat, and continue to use the farm to provide organic, healthy, and sustainable food for generations to come. I want to continue the
agricultural tradition of farming while producing meaningful, mindful, and healthy ways to provide food for the community at large.