
Donation protected
GOAL: $25,000
Cancer 2.0 - The Sequel Nobody Asked For
Imagine being told you have cancer - multiple myeloma.
You fight it tooth and nail, weathering the physical, emotional and financial hardships that come along with chemotherapy and other treatments.
You celebrate being in remission for five years.
Before you know it, it's the end of February 2024 and you don't take a single day for granted.
The phone rings, like it does after every follow-up appointment, to let you know if you are still in remission.
Your heart starts pounding, like it always does when you realize who's on the other end of the line.
They say the words you hoped to never hear again.
You have cancer. It's back.
This time it's leukemia and you need to start treatment
NOW. The kind of NOW that means vou have to drop everything - work, life, family obligations - and check into the hospital to begin immediate treatment.
It's jarring and scary and it happened to Karla.
If you know Karla personally, you're one of the lucky ones.
If you don't, let me introduce her to you. If you like funny, you like Karla. If you appreciate a generous soul, you adore Karla. If witnessing someone's grit and determination to fight whatever comes her way inspires you, hang her poster on your wall.
Karla is approaching her second bout with cancer the very same way she did the first one - with guts, prayers, transparency and humor. As a previous cancer patient and a certified medical assistant that works in a hospital, she understands more than most just how hard the road ahead of her is - but she truly believes in the power of prayer, love and laughter.
She checked into the hospital to begin treatment for her second round of cancer on Feb. 29", 2024.
On May 29", she received a stem cell transplant from her son, Davion. Both he and his sister, Autumn, were tested as donors and anxious to help their mother in any way possible. 7 million cells were collected from Davion and doctors used 5 million of them.
The two weeks after the transplant have been tough.
There's been lots of discomfort and other things that fall into the category of TMI, but Karla would be more than happy to entertain you with the details of is you ask her directly - lol.
Here's where Karla and her family could really,
REALLY use your help. I'm asking because they won't.
Doctors told Karla she could be out of work for at least six months while she recovers from the transplant, gets used to her new medications and travels back and forth to consistent doctor appointments.
Prior to her second cancer diagnosis, Karla was living with a roommate, but that arrangement is no longer an option and she needs to find housing immediately - which is difficult given she just had a transplant, isn't working while she recovers, needs first and last month rent (which she doesn't have) and is watching medical bills stack up.
If she physically could, Karla would be at work. She's a hustler. She's always found a way. She just needs our help this time. She is working to obtain temporary guest housing through the hospital to meet her immediate needs while she recovers from the transplant, but there are still out of pocket costs associated with it and it's not a permanent solution.
Please, if you are able, consider donating to help Karla secure housing and worry a little less about how much money it's costing her to save her own life.
I know it's cliche to say, but no amount is too small. We are setting the goal at $25k to help cover:
First/last month rent
Rent/utilities until she can return to work and take over those bills
Food and gas
Medical bills
Thank you in advance for your support. Please share this link and if you can't donate, please send prayers and healing mojo!
And finally, enjoy these words from Karla herself.
"We've all heard life is short and to enjoy yourself. Now I also say...go commando every now and then or wear mismatched socks!"
Written by
Heather Fitz-Dillow
Organizer
Autumn Henze
Organizer
Aurora, IL