Donation protected
I am writing this with a very heavy heart in the hope of getting some support for my mother, Kathy.
My mother is kind, thoughtful, witty, generous, strong, intelligent, caring, loving, and a cancer survivor. Seven years ago, she fought the cancer battle, and we dealt with that devastating news. She is one tough woman, but it is excruciating to say that the cancer is back.
Last December, my family flew to Oregon to visit my mom and family for the holidays. Due to COVID, It has been a few years since we made this trip. While there, we noticed my mom limping and had bruises all over her body from falling. We convinced her to get her butt in to urgent care. An MRI revealed devastating news that she had three small tumors in her brain, one pushing on her motor cortex, creating partial paralysis on her right side.
After a PET Scan, we learned that she also has stage four lung cancer, metastasizing throughout her body. Cancer spread to her brain, liver, stomach, and lymph nodes. In addition to this, there is a mass in her breast that the oncologist suspects to be breast cancer.
The doctors immediately performed Whole-Brain (WB) Radiation Therapy to shrink the tumors in her brain, specifically cancer resting on her brain stem, causing her the most pain and inability to now use the bottom half of her body. It has only been two months, and she can no longer walk independently and needs full-time care.
If untreated, or if the radiation does not work, she will not have much time left with us, and her health will rapidly decrease. That is not even the most heartbreaking part. Even if the WB Radiation Therapy works, the doctors will not treat the cancer throughout her body because it is so aggressive. However, we are currently waiting on the results of a gene test to see if we have any other options.
My mom's three sisters and her daughter are taking turns providing for all of her care. Each day she is taken in for her WB Radiation Therapy and is assisted by a family member. She still can't walk or sit up unassisted, but we are hopeful that a physical therapist will show up soon to help facilitate some movement.
My mother now requires extra things like blankets, a specialized table, and a hospital bed to make her more comfortable, to name a few. Medical bills that insurance won't cover are expected to come in because of the specialized care she needs. She hasn't been at work in over two months. All the personal bills like insurance, rent, groceries, dog food, electricity are going unpaid or partially paid for by others (thank you).
Our family is very proud, and we hate to ask others for help, but we will be the first to offer support when needed, especially my mother. That makes this extremely difficult.
The money raised will go towards her and any family's costs in providing care and comfort for our mom. If we cannot get assistance from Medicaid, one of the highest costs may be hiring an in-home caregiver (Palliative Care) or nursing care that will come to her house. As of right now, there's a 5-6 month application process, and we are not sure she has that time.
Please keep our mom, Kathy, in your thoughts. I'll be posting updates as soon as we hear them. Thank you for any support you can give us.
With all of our love,
Nicholas and Jennifer Baughman (and families), Kaitlyn Cason (and family), Gayle Wright (and family), Susi Nieto (and family), Terri Porter (and family), and Kathy's grandchildren (Luke, Hailey, Brayden, and Wyatt)
“But there's a story behind everything. How a picture got on a wall. How a scar got on your face. Sometimes the stories are simple, and sometimes they are hard and heartbreaking. But behind all your stories is always your mother's story, because hers is where yours begin.”
― Mitch Albom, For One More Day
My mother is kind, thoughtful, witty, generous, strong, intelligent, caring, loving, and a cancer survivor. Seven years ago, she fought the cancer battle, and we dealt with that devastating news. She is one tough woman, but it is excruciating to say that the cancer is back.
Last December, my family flew to Oregon to visit my mom and family for the holidays. Due to COVID, It has been a few years since we made this trip. While there, we noticed my mom limping and had bruises all over her body from falling. We convinced her to get her butt in to urgent care. An MRI revealed devastating news that she had three small tumors in her brain, one pushing on her motor cortex, creating partial paralysis on her right side.
After a PET Scan, we learned that she also has stage four lung cancer, metastasizing throughout her body. Cancer spread to her brain, liver, stomach, and lymph nodes. In addition to this, there is a mass in her breast that the oncologist suspects to be breast cancer.
The doctors immediately performed Whole-Brain (WB) Radiation Therapy to shrink the tumors in her brain, specifically cancer resting on her brain stem, causing her the most pain and inability to now use the bottom half of her body. It has only been two months, and she can no longer walk independently and needs full-time care.
If untreated, or if the radiation does not work, she will not have much time left with us, and her health will rapidly decrease. That is not even the most heartbreaking part. Even if the WB Radiation Therapy works, the doctors will not treat the cancer throughout her body because it is so aggressive. However, we are currently waiting on the results of a gene test to see if we have any other options.
My mom's three sisters and her daughter are taking turns providing for all of her care. Each day she is taken in for her WB Radiation Therapy and is assisted by a family member. She still can't walk or sit up unassisted, but we are hopeful that a physical therapist will show up soon to help facilitate some movement.
My mother now requires extra things like blankets, a specialized table, and a hospital bed to make her more comfortable, to name a few. Medical bills that insurance won't cover are expected to come in because of the specialized care she needs. She hasn't been at work in over two months. All the personal bills like insurance, rent, groceries, dog food, electricity are going unpaid or partially paid for by others (thank you).
Our family is very proud, and we hate to ask others for help, but we will be the first to offer support when needed, especially my mother. That makes this extremely difficult.
The money raised will go towards her and any family's costs in providing care and comfort for our mom. If we cannot get assistance from Medicaid, one of the highest costs may be hiring an in-home caregiver (Palliative Care) or nursing care that will come to her house. As of right now, there's a 5-6 month application process, and we are not sure she has that time.
Please keep our mom, Kathy, in your thoughts. I'll be posting updates as soon as we hear them. Thank you for any support you can give us.
With all of our love,
Nicholas and Jennifer Baughman (and families), Kaitlyn Cason (and family), Gayle Wright (and family), Susi Nieto (and family), Terri Porter (and family), and Kathy's grandchildren (Luke, Hailey, Brayden, and Wyatt)
“But there's a story behind everything. How a picture got on a wall. How a scar got on your face. Sometimes the stories are simple, and sometimes they are hard and heartbreaking. But behind all your stories is always your mother's story, because hers is where yours begin.”
― Mitch Albom, For One More Day
Co-organizers (2)
Nicholas Baughman
Organizer
San Diego, CA
Jennifer Baughman
Co-organizer