Shawn Cela Tillman Fund
Dear SVA Classmates and Friends,
As many of you know our dear friend
Shawn Cela Tillman was diagnosed with a Glioblastoma multiforme in October,
2011. GBM is the most common and most aggressive type of malignant brain tumor
in adults. Generally speaking, prognosis is extremely poor, with a meidan
survival time of approximately 12"“14 months and is almost invariably fatal.
Shawn had surgery on October 24, 2011
removing as much of the malignant tumor as possible and followed up with
radiation and chemo. She responded well and had a good 2012. We were pleased
and hopeful regarding her diagnosis.
Unfortunately friends noticed
changes in Shawn's personality in January 2013 and an MRI confirmed a
reoccurrence of her tumor in the brain, this time in multiple locations.
Surgery is not an option. Her current
treatment options are radiation and chemotherapy. As you can imagine, her prognosis is not
good.
Shawn is not married, her Mother
passed away in March of 2012. She has no children or siblings to assist with
her care. The primary responsibility for her daily needs has fallen to a group
of close friends. We were able to access
her SSI disability funds which provide enough money to pay her living expenses
(rent, utilities, etc.) We are trying to
keep her in her home as long as possible where she is comfortable and in a
familiar environment and that is where we need your help:
We have found a roommate who has
moved into her home and is able to provide an overnight presence in the event
that Shawn falls or needs assistance. We are attempting to raise funds to
provide sitters during the day, as well as a life alert system (which would
allow Shawn to push a button for immediate medical care should she fall or need
emergency assistance.) We anticipate we
can provide this care for about $2000/month and will review her care plan in 90
day intervals (since we don't know how or if she will respond to treatment.)
What
We Need:
·
Prayers of course are welcomed and needed but we are hoping to raise $6000.00 to pay
for Shawn's care for the next 90 days. If we can find 100 friends willing to
donate $20.00 a month we can pay for her in-home care. We know that you all have commitments, family,
work, etc and may be dealing with your own health challenges, or those of your
parents, spouses or children but any consideration you can give to this cause
would be most appreciated. You can
donate in a onetime pledge or come back monthly, whichever is easier for you. Should Shawn's health change before we
exhaust the funds, any leftover funds would be donated to St. Vincent's Academy
in Savannah Georgia in Shawn's name.
·
You can visit Shawn's caring bridge page at http://www.caringbridge.org. Her page name is ShawnTillman.
Thank you in advance for your
help. Please feel free to forward this
information on to other classmates or friends who I may have missed.