Karen Born-Cafaro CAN Beat Cancer With Your Help

Karen Born-Cafaro has spent much of her life helping kids in her own special way - encouraging them in their passion for music and theater.  She is herself an accomplished singer, and in 2005 she and her friend Julie Kenyon-Warner started a performing arts studio called Gateway to the Arts.  She has two wonderful children of her own, Kia and Rayne, who are both tributes to what a wonderful mother she is. Over the years Karen has taught, mentored and mothered countless kids who thrived and blossomed as solid performers doing something they loved.  My son Matt was one of them, and in addition to bringing out the best in his vocal abilities, she provided him with a perspective and wisdom that have made him a better person. I can never repay her for this.

Despite all the wonderful things Karen has done for others, she herself has recently been challenged with a battle against ovarian cancer.  She has health insurance, but part of the insurance protocol requires her to first go through rounds of chemotherapy.  Having seen others in her support group go this route and lose after suffering the side effects, Karen opted for immunotherapy.  However, the insurance company will only pay for this treatment if she goes through chemo and it doesn't work. However, chemotherapy is so destructive to the immune system that the benefits of immunotherapy would be lost.  After a lot of research, Karen took her treatment into her own hands and went the immunotherapy route.  That's why she looks and for the most part feels so healthy - she has avoided the ravages of chemotherapy.  Unfortunately, she is forced to pay for this herself.  A single treatment costs $36,500.  She moved out of her home and liquidated her assets to pay for these treatments, and with the ravages of Covid, she stopped taking a salary from her studio so they could keep it running during quarantine. She and Kia drive 15 hours to Florida every 3 months to get her treatment. When she is home (up north) she lives with her son Rayne.  At this point she is out of options...

The good news is, the treatment is working and Karen can get well and beat the cancer.  The not so good news is the cost, and this is where you and anyone you know can help.  Please donate now what you can so Karen can continue to get well and help more kids with their music and dancing dreams. In these hard times, there is something you can do to make a difference and affect so many people's lives in a positive way, by helping one beautiful person get well.



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