
Donation protected

In August 2016 was the first surgery for removal of the unidentifiable localized cancer and they told my mom she didn’t need any chemo or radiation because the cancer was considered unidentifiable. The surgeon stated they cleared the margins and this type of cancer is normally treated just with surgery. During some time in November 2016, she started to feel like something was growing below her left nostril. The surgeons voted it to be normal postoperative changes from the surgery labeling it as scar tissue. After several subsequent recurring visits some deformity started to show and they finally suspected something was not right. After a CT scan in December of 2016 and April 2017 they came to the conclusion that the cancer recurred and is located in the left premaxilla adjacent to the left nostril. In May of 2017 was the second resection and reconstructive surgery to remove the recurrent cancer from the primary site. The reconstructive surgery consisted of the removal of her left fibula to reconstruct her upper jaw and palate. After that resection we waited to see if she needed radiation or chemotherapy based on the pathology reports and recommendations from the tumor board. Once confirmed, it was decided by the tumor board to be treated with proton radiation. She began treatment in August of 2017 through October 2017. After receiving radiation treatment and multiple PET/CT scans with results showing no signs of cancer, excitement grew that she was in the clear. Unfortunately in February upon a normal visit with her surgeon they noticed some signs of tissue abnormality and immediately followed a biopsy in February of 2018, which came back inconclusive. With not much concern based on the inconclusive result of the reports my mom continued on her path to recovery. In June of 2018, she went for a follow up PET/CT scans, which delivered terrifying results. With abnormalities on the PET/CT scans, she was sent for blood tests and received the news the cancer metastasized (multiple sites). Upon this terrible news chemo was immediately started in early July. Being the strong woman that my mom is she endured chemotherapy very well up until October 31st 2018 when she became extremely neutropenic and ended up in the hospital for 6 days. Still receiving chemotherapy and battling this terrible Cancer she managed to continue working as a teacher's assistant working with autistic children from grades 1-2. After getting out of the hospital we agreed she must take a medical leave of absence and focus on getting through this journey to recovery.
As we all know traveling, medical expenses and the cost of living (especially in New York) is never easy. With everyday bills and medical expenses adding up it can be overwhelming, as we all may know. Worrying about expenses is the last thing we want for her to deal with. Osteosarcoma is one of the rarest cancers out there, especially in adults. Because of the limited research on this cancer we want to seek out multiple medical opinions and treatment options outside of New York to get my mom the best treatment plan as possible. We will be seeking out opinions at Dana Farber in Massachusetts and MD Anderson in Texas as well as immunotherapy drugs, which is not covered by most insurance companies.
So we are reaching out for help. My mom has always donated to causes to help others in need and has been a giver all of her life. I am hoping that through this page we can raise enough money to take some of the financial burden off of her and my father as she continues through this journey to fight and win against this Cancer.
All and any donations are deeply appreciated by my family to help my mother seek the medical treatment needed and to support getting through these difficult times.
Thank you in advance for your consideration and support.
Sincerely,
The Rocco Family
Co-organizers (2)
Brittany Rocco
Organizer
Selden, NY
Anthony Rocco
Beneficiary
Brian Goff
Co-organizer