Aid Ema's Family Through Her Cancer Journey

My name is Deb Mailhot. I am the mom of an amazing and strong woman - Ema Mailhot-Beutel. Myself and Ema's tribe wanted to find ways to support her family in a rather difficult time they are navigating. Ema is the wife of Alex. She is the mom of two lovely kiddos - Clem and Juniper. She is a social worker in Chicago. She loves to bake sourdough. She crafts with her kids. She gardens in her city lot. She rides her bike and runs marathons. And Ema has colon cancer.

Ema was diagnosed with cancer in July shortly after running a full marathon in Minnesota. She was visiting a friend and had a crisis that led to testing that revealed the tumor. Ema returned to Chicago with tests in hand to get set up for oncology and surgical appointments. Things moved quickly and she had surgery on July 30. Ema's surgical course was relatively smooth. She was discharged moving well and pain was well controlled. The pathology came back very encouraging... but there was a caveat. The section removed and inflamed seemed to not be in the exact spot the notes described from her diagnostic scope. The decision to complete a colonoscopy very shortly after surgery was made early in recovery. Ema had continued to feel discomfort in her abdomen - even as incisions were healed. She had not felt her strength fully return and was still very tired when she should have felt better based on all known info from pathology and surgical process.

On Thursday, Sept 5th, Ema had the colonoscopy and the most unthinkable news came back to her and her family. The tumor that had been discovered in July was still in her now resected colon.

This news is devastating on so many levels. A second surgery is needed, the tumor was in her body for more than a month longer, the colon has been altered already based on seemingly unclear info. The bills from a second procedure as well as any other medical treatment now needed are still not fully known. Ema will need to take another 2-3 weeks minimum off work and recover again.

She is strong and she has support, but her heart and body are tired. The unknowns seem larger and the known is hard to cling to. She believes in a God who uses both modern medicine and His grace to heal our bodies - yet this all seems huge even in that knowing.

As a mom, I want to take all this away - kiss the boo-boo and say an earnest prayer - hug her and send her off to play some more. But that is not how this will go.

We are asking if her tribe - family, friends - would come alongside her family and support them financially. Between bills, lost work hours, and funds to make life simple for the next month or more, it would fantastic if we could blesa them with financial support !