All in for Addison

“Coming into 2024, I never could have dreamed that I would be diagnosed with cancer, much less have the cancer spread throughout a good portion of my body. At the end of March 2024, my chemo journey will start and I’m gonna kick this cancer’s ass.”

This is a quote from Addison Smith.

And this is Her Story:

I was a typical teenager going to school, hanging out with friends, and working at restaurants and in medical offices. In May of 2016, I graduated from a local high school and then that December started on my career path by attending a local university in nursing. I studied and struggled and was nearing the finish line with clinicals when COVID hit and shut down the world and extended the training and delayed graduation. The mandatory COVID vaccination policy had been placed into effect for health care workers and for me to finish my clinical training. Finally Graduation Day came in December of 2021 and I would be starting a new career as a registered nurse in one of the city's hospitals in January of 2022. I survived at least three (3) rounds of COVID, but I had a lingering cough that would not go away, despite having taken the COVID vaccine. I did go to the doctor to see about the cough but nothing out of the ordinary, possible long COVID, bouts of being exhausted with aches and pains. Then in late January of 2024, I went to the doctor and further testing was ordered and an appointment was made at West Clinic. A mass had been detected on my right lung. A biopsy was ordered and then a PET Scan. But before the appointments, in February of 2024 I landed a four (4) day stay in the hospital with severe chest pain and shortness of breath. The mass on my lung was 4cm x 10cm x 10 cm (BIG)! In March after having a biopsy and the PET Scan, I was diagnosed with Hodgkin's Lymphoma, Stage Three, since it was in several parts of my body. You talk about overwhelming! The decisions that had to be made going forward with treatment, realizing that NOT ALL cancer services are covered by insurance and are expensive for a young 25 year old, just starting out in the world with a career and now will not be able to return to work until this disease is in remission, however long that will take! In March an additional biopsy was taken that shows the cancer is now in my bone marrow and at Stage Four. Not going to give up, going to kick this cancer! Since I started this journey, I have had two (2) chemo treatments, one every other week with the next preliminary 10 treatments to go over the next five months until another PET Scan will be ordered to see my progress .

Until then:

If you will please donate toward any of my uninsured medical treatments or out of pocket expenses, it would be greatly appreciated. No contribution is too small and if you cannot contribute, then I would ask one (1) of three (3) things:

1. Send this to someone you know that may be able to contribute.

2. Send this to someone you know that has legislative connections. As previously mentioned, certain treatments are not covered by insurance such as any treatment related to fertility. This topic has been in the news over the last year and there are currently 18 states that have provisions for this and Tennessee is not one of them! If you meet the age for admission to St. Jude Hospital, these services are fully covered. If you are past the age of childbearing, you do not need these services. However, for a 25-year-old, not married and has no children, insurance coverage for these treatments would be welcome. I hope to have children one day and hopefully fertility treatments will benefit me then as I could not opt for it in a split decision at a cost between $6,000 to 12,000 out of pocket.

3. Please continue to pray for me as I know God will listen.

My medical team has not discussed the insurance coverage of a bone marrow transplant, but I know it will be coming. I cannot set a definite figure for this Go-Fund-Me endeavor because of the unknown.

I continue to ask that you walk this journey with me.