I am raising funds to help Dawn, who lost her mom Margaret; that she has been a caregiver to for the last 15 years, to assist with funeral costs, medical bills and other expenses that have overwhelmed her and the family.

Margaret had some health issues before, but around 2014, a lump was found in her parotid gland in her neck which was wrapped around her facial nerve, and turned out to be diagnosed as cancer. It was complete devastation to her and her family. After that diagnosis she then had to start treatment and had to have her right parotid gland removed, which was the size of a grapefruit. Margaret then had to start radiation treatment as soon as possible because since the tumor was wrapped around her facial nerve, they weren’t able to remove the entire tumor or risk, complete facial paralysis. She went thru many treatments and then when she had her last treatment she was in the hospital for something else and during that last radiation session, she had her first stroke.

There were no protocols in place in the treatment center and then was wheeled back up to her room and left in the hallway and then those that wheeled her upstairs decided to call her Doctors on the floor and code blue was called, she had partial paralysis and weakness on one side and that duo was yelled at and disciplined by the head honchos and protocols were finally put in place.

Margaret went thru many weeks in the hospital, and then in a rehab for months where she had to fight her way back to get home. Margaret went thru hell and back numerous times with her medical issues.

Dawn had quit work and school to care for her mom, who was battling cancer (Mantle Cell Lymphoma) on and off since 2014, as well as 2 major strokes.

With one stroke, Margaret had to learn to walk, talk, read, write, eat, drink, and everything that most people learn when they are babies. She had to relearn everything and spent 9 months straight away from home, living between hospitals and rehabs. She was on oxygen for 2 plus years, suffered from pleural effusion, and had to get her lungs tapped. Margaret also had 13 mini-strokes, AFib, CHF, diabetes, vestibular vertigo, lymphedema, and other medical conditions.

Margaret needed assistance 24/7, and that caused her daughter Dawn to have increased stress, anxiety and depression; due to her pain with her own medical conditions including lupus, fibromyalgia, sciatica, and other conditions. It became so bad Dawn needed spinal surgery from caring for her mom and from an accident she also struggled in many ways.

But being Margaret’s daughter, she was determined to assist her mom any way she could.

Margaret would to try to get up on her own and was a fighter. But with her mind stronger than her body, it was a constant battle. Margaret had a pacemaker/defibrillator, a Watchman implant, and a chemo port. And she had a strong will to survive.

With having cancer, she needed the chemo port because her veins were put through the wringer. With radiation treatments, it burned her skin, and she had welts from it. With cancer and it’s treatments, she was in constant pain and unable to do much of anything and needed to focus on her healing journey. Her daughter kept stepping up since she was an only child and didn’t have much help. The bills added up due to her daughter being unable to work for many years and not getting assistance, and Margaret was a major fall risk and did fall a lot.

Dawn fell behind in the bills, due to being unable to work due to her injuries as did Margaret. The house needed emergency plumbing as well as the car due to someone driving erratically, and the car ended up in a major ditch off the parkway with Dawn, her mom, and aunt in the car, and the driver took off. The mechanic still doesn’t know how they survived. It was a freak thing and expensive to fix the car.

The years took its toll on Margaret; but she always found the silver lining and a way to smile, joke around and keep those around her relaxed.

Margaret’s little sister Linda, stepped up to help her niece Dawn care for her, even though she herself has major health issues. But her help and respite gave Dawn a breather.

The last few months have been rough as we thought that since Margaret has been in remission since 2023 and her recent Petscan was great, that things would be easing up a little.

Unfortunately, Margaret has been in and out of 3 hospitals and 2 rehabs since December 13, 2025, when she tripped and fell. She needed 26 stitches in her leg and tore out some vessels and did some damage to her leg, which became necrotic. After being in that hospital for 13 days, she was transferred to her first rehab and contracted CRE, which is a deadly bacterial infection that brought on pneumonia.

Margaret ended up on oxygen and had major bladder issues all due to contracting CRE. And it was downhill from there. Some staff verbally abused her and neglected her, causing stress, fear of retaliation if she spoke up, and anger. Dawn would speak with directors and supervisors and was told they weren’t short-staffed, just that the staff was lazy.

While in that 1st rehab, she fell a couple of times there and was not rushed to the hospital; one time she was trying to stop her 84-year-old roommate from leaving the room naked and running the halls.

Margaret fell again and banged her head on something, getting a knot on her forehead and cheek. Dawn was informed 3 hours later by a voice mail, that her mom fell and was injured. And it was at the end of the nurse's shift.

While in the 1st rehab Margaret had a Mini-Stroke and was rushed to the ER to the 2nd hospital, and it was while at that hospital and after the labs were run that she was diagnosed with CRE. She was in the 2nd hospital a little over a month.

She then went to another rehab and was there for about 2 weeks. Then her pain levels were off the charts, her labs were very bad, and she was sent to the ER to the 3rd hospital from the rehab.

Margaret wasn’t home for over 3 months this time and didn’t know she would never go back home again.

We all thank God for giving Margaret so many miracles and extra time to spend with her family and loved ones.

Dawn got the call from the rehabilitation center that her mom was being sent to the ER because her labs they ran came back and were not great and the hospital would be better with other tests that would be needed. And in less than 24 hours, her mom was gone.

But now her daughter is heartbroken, to say the least, and needs help to pick herself back up, get back on her feet, and begin a new chapter in life.

Dawn was recently sent an email with a rough draft of her mother’s death certificate and numerous errors were made, including causes of death. She was told that it’s under investigation and will take a while to get it completed.

So, in the meantime, with no death certificate, everything is in limbo and everything is in Margaret’s name. Dawn needs a probate lawyer and a Malpractice attorney, and there is still a mortgage on the house, and it seems like it’s all never ending.

How much can one daughter that sacrificed everything for taking care of her mom go thru and unable to afford to pay the bills that are overdue? Margaret’s Medical bills are over $40,000 with just the ones from this past December. One bill that just came in from 1 rehab is over $15,000 out of pocket and that’s not with any from her previous Medical bills. Which add up.

Dawn would use the money to pay off her mom’s debt, including the mortgage. And hopefully be able to pay off her debts as well and get a clean slate on this next chapter of her story.

If you can spare $10, $5 or even $1 to help get her through the most difficult time in her life and help get back on her feet and start fresh, it would be most helpful. And if you cannot afford to donate, can you please share her story on social media, text messages with your friends and/or family, it would help her so much.

Dawn is needing a hand up. I hope you can share this and we can help support her with whatever you can afford to give.

Thank you for your love and support.