Support mom of three and teacher against cancer

My name is Kathleen Ray, and my mom has not had a good beginning to 2024. She met with a new RN at her doctor’s office in early January who seemed to finally listen about issues she has been experiencing for the last three years or so. She had been told that she was a 57 year old in perimenopause, but this nurse ordered an ultrasound which led to a biopsy which led to a diagnosis of 'Endometrial intraepithelial neoplasia (EIN), a precancerous lesion of the uterus. A hysterectomy is the definitive treatment for EIN, and this was scheduled for May 22 in Dallas with a 4-6 week recovery period. My mom found an amazing doctor who put all her concerns to rest.

Then, the following week, she went in for what she thought was to be a routine colonoscopy. A malignant tumor was discovered. As you can only imagine, this came as quite the shock. She has been informed that her hysterectomy needs to be delayed a bit while they shrink the tumor. Then, the surgery to remove the tumor will be done at the same time as the hysterectomy. She is coordinating this with two surgeons at UT Southwestern Medical Center in Dallas.

Since January, my mom has been traveling all over the Dallas/Fort Worth metroplex for these various appointments. Since she is a teacher working from home, she has lost quite a bit of income already during a time where finances were already rocky. My mom was let go from her full-time job of seven years in May 2023, and has since been slowly building up her own teaching/coaching business, Claddagh Rose Consulting. She currently works way more than full-time hours with five companies as a 1099 employee and with a college as a part-time W2 employee. Thus, there are no PTO days. The loss of income already and the future income loss with all the appointments and surgeries is her greatest concern.

My mom is the hardest worker I know. My dad’s teacher salary only provides so much. She has worked her entire life, even summers when many teachers take time off. Us kids have never gone without due to her always finding that odd job here or there to help pay for all our needs.

My mom also does not have health insurance, but she is working with the county and the hospitals to try to get some assistance. So far they have been able to lower some bills, but as you can imagine, the costs are rising quickly. She is part of a healthshare ministry, but she is at the lowest bracket due to switching late last year since the higher bracket became too expensive. This leads to more out-of-pocket medical expenses.

During this daunting situation, we are pleading with our family and friends to come alongside us to help support our mom through their prayers and financial donations. Our biggest prayer is that she just has time to rest and work less as she maneuvers through what seems to be a plethora of appointments. She is constantly on the go and constantly working which leads to her not taking care of herself. Now is the time for my mom to come first. Therefore, most of the funds raised here will help her take off some much needed time from working so much. Every contribution, no matter the size, brings my mom one step closer to health and eases the burden on her and her family.

If you are not able to help financially, your prayers are much appreciated. My family is temporarily moving to Texas in May to assist her as much as possible. My brother, Malachy, will be coming home from college also in early May. We are grateful we will all be home during the summer to help her through these difficult coming months.

With deepest gratitude,

The O'Connor Family

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