Aid Stacy's Journey to Recovery

Hi, my name is Stacy and I have to do something that is extremely hard for me, and that is ask for help. You see, recently I had to be life-flighted out to Mayo Clinic in Rochester, MN due to my chronic myeloid leukemia (CML) progressing to acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL). I currently live in Rapid City, SD, and Rochester, MN is 540 miles (9 hrs) from home. While I was in the Mayo getting a really aggressive form of chemotherapy, I developed ischemic bowel syndrome and went into septic shock, which means my bowels were dying and my other organs were in jeopardy of failure. So I had to go into ICU for emergency surgery, which ended up being a 3-week nightmare in which I fought extremely hard to survive. Had it not been for some of my closest friends and family taking time out of their jobs and busy lives to come and support me, I don't think I would've lived. Unfortunately, (although they would never say so to me) I know that it caused a bit of financial strain due to having to travel, pay for lodging, eating out, pay for parking, etc. So after a total of 2 months in the Mayo Clinic, I got to come home. But this is not the end of my story, which is what brings me to why I am reaching out for help now. My doctors have referred me to the Colorado Blood Cancer Institute for my future chemo treatment, which starts within the week in Denver, CO. Denver is 360 miles (5 1/2 hours) away. My dilemma is they want me to stay for at least a month for weekly infusions and they want me to bring a full-time caregiver with me, but this means taking more time off from their jobs and lives, which in turn means less money coming in and more going out due to travel, food costs, lodging, etc. for me and them. With that being said, it breaks my heart to put this burden on them alone. I've checked on flights and there is no way I can afford that at $600-900 a ticket. Plus, I would have to get a rental car. So it's much more cost-efficient to drive. I'm still weak and exhausted from this fight, but no matter what, I will never give up and I will never stop trusting that God wants me to turn my mess into a message about the unwavering love of a faithful God if we just trust Him.

Well, I think I've gone on long enough. I would be forever grateful if you could find it in your heart to help me and my loved ones with this trip to Denver. Thank you so much for your consideration in this matter. God bless you all. Here are a few pictures of the journey so far.