Angela's challenge

November 28, 2018, our world took an unexpected turn when my daughter, Angela Monette-Smith, at age 42, was diagnosed with a rare cancerous tumor, Ewing sarcoma. Ewing sarcoma is rare in adults and in African-Americans.  It’s a soft tissue cancer that is painful and grows aggressively around a bone that is known to affect less than 1000 children and young adults every year in the USA and shows up slightly more in males. For close to a year, Angela felt a discomfort in her leg and was diagnosed as having a pinched nerve in her back.  The leg pain, swelling, and decline in mobility continued and got much worse. After another 6 months of discomfort, MRI's, CT's, X-Rays and body scans revealed a mass from her left hip/thigh to her knee, that a biopsy confirmed to be an Ewing sarcoma cancer tumor.

Angela was taken off work as of December 1, 2018, where she is the office manager for a Hospice provider. The oncologist said put no pressure on her left leg, as her femur bone is too weak to stand pressure and may fracture.  She is immobile and confined to a wheelchair at all times.  
 
Angela is scheduled to begin an aggressive treatment, including chemo therapy, radiation, and surgery to shrink the cancerous mass, which should make it easier for a surgery to repair her femur bone and attach a prosthetic that will be necessary for her basic need to walk again.  It has been estimated to be at least 12-months of treatments including surgery and recovery.

Angela will travel 2 hours each way to Loma Linda Cancer Center to receive treatment, presenting an unforeseen costs to Angela and her family. Her Paid Time Off from work will exhaust soon, and she will face financial hardships.  Through prayers, blessings, and a strong network of family, friends, and people who care, the donations received will support her medical expenses of insurance deductibles and co-pays.  Donations will lighten the burden of her travel for treatments and help prevent a financial hardship due to the loss of income.

Angela, being in good spirits, has very strong FAITH that she will completely heal in her journey to beat this disease. Even though this rare unexpected cancer has attacked her, she is a fierce warrior queen who plans to overcome this medical issue 100%.
 
I am Angela's mother, Denise Wells, and it pains me to see my daughter in pain, and under a lot of stress for so very long.  Thank God the cause of her discomforts has been diagnosed and treatments will start in the second week of January 2019.  Angela is a beautiful woman inside and out, was an A student, and a pageant beauty queen as a child.  She is a wonderful wife and mother to 3 children, 3 step-children and 2 grandchildren. She has a long journey ahead to battle this cancer and any support will help. As her mother, it is my job to remove any burdens I can, so she can maintain the strength needed to focus on healing, recovery and regain a normal life.

Our fundraising effort is driven by our belief that people help people. Any kindness of a donation will be appreciated, as we hope to reach a donation goal of $25,000.  We welcome you to share your thoughts about Angela and her condition. 

I will update Angela's condition and treatment as she gets through this difficult time and joins the family of survivors.  Thank you in advance. PRAYER for Angela, her family and her medical team will change things.