Memorial fund for Jess Gosselin and her family

On April 25th, on a sunny spring afternoon, Jessica ended her yearlong battle with cancer. She fought with dignity and grace. She did not let cancer define her.

Her husband, Zac, and young son, Griffy, will face a new normal with Jess as their angel. They will need our help while they navigate their grief. By donating, it will make the expenses of her funeral and costs associated with raising a child a lesser burden to bare for Zac. Please consider donating or sharing. Your help is greatly appreciated.

Hi, my name is Jayne and I am fundraising for my good friend and colleague, Jessica. Jessica is a caring and doting mother, loving wife, faithful daughter, dependable friend and coworker. She is always willing to lend a hand and will always jump in to help others.

In December, Jessica slipped while carrying her little boy, Griffy, on her stairs. She braced her fall to avoid Griffy being hurt and injured her arm. She immediately felt neck and shoulder pain but assumed that it was something pulled or pinched. After treatment with massage therapy, heat and medicine, she knew it was something more. She tried chiropractic services and following several doctor visits , she was diagnosed with carpal tunnel. Continuing to experience significant nerve pain, she went to the ER and was immediately referred to an orthopedic specialist who suspected she had a pinched nerve but ordered an MRI to confirm the diagnosis. Immediately after having the MRI, the doctor called her and told her to get to Albany Med ASAP because she had a severely broken neck! Scared and in disbelief, she kissed her little boy, Griffy, goodbye, thinking that she’d be home soon. After several hours of testing, she was admitted. She was an hour away from home and her 3 year old son, and was told that she had a tumor on her spine that required advanced surgery. At the end of February, she endured a 10 hour surgery to repair her fractured neck and remove a growth that had been discovered. Immediately they knew the cells were abnormal. A biopsy confirmed the worst. She had cancer which had metastasized from her colon.

You may not know, but her mother is currently going through maintenance treatments for stage 4 colon cancer. The cancer is genetic. Luckily the fall is what caught her cancer early, as she was not experiencing the telltale colon cancer symptoms. The cancer was in her colon and other areas of her body but the doctors believed that it was caught early and started her on radiation.

As she started healing from surgery, she began experiencing weakness in her arms and hands along with severe nerve pain. Her surgeon advised her that it was part of the healing process. Unfortunately, the pain and weakness continued to spread to her legs causing concern. She had another MRI that determined her tumor on her spine had returned. This was a major surprise to her team of doctors and caregivers. She is starting chemotherapy immediately and is hoping to travel to Boston to the Dana Farber Cancer Institute to be examined further by a team of doctors who specialize in Colon Cancer in young people.

Jessica is very young. She is energetic and always going on adventures with her husband, Zac and her son, Griffy. She loves routine and enjoys the daily life of work and family. All of that has been paused and turned upside down. She has mounting medical bills and multiple appointments and procedures every single day. The cost of copays, travel and arrangements for Griffy’s care are piling up on their young family. Jessica will beat this; she will thrive. She will be able to enjoy the people and activities she loves. She just needs to have the opportunity to concentrate on her health and her treatments without financial stress.

If you are able, please donate so Jessica and her family do not have to worry about the financial burden that cancer treatment places on a patient. If you cannot donate, please consider sharing.

Thank you for your support. Jessica, Zac and Griffy along with her family, friends and work family appreciate it more than you know!