Allyson J. McMullen Memorial
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Please help us raise money to cover the expenses for Allyson's funeral services.
Allyson passed away peacefully on April 4, 2018 around 2:30 AM after an incredibly hard fought battle with cancer.
For those of you that don't know, Allyson has spent nearly her entire life fighting cancer in one form or another. When she was 5 years old she was diagnosed with rhabdomyosarcoma, a form of soft tissue cancer. She underwent treatment, but unfortunately 20 months later when she was 7 the cancer returned. After another lengthy battle, Allyson had finally won and began the long healing process, and her life was good again.
Fast forward 20 years, several reconstructive surgeries and hardship; I was given the gift of being able to marry her on August 13th 2016. 10 days after getting married and being home from our honeymoon, something didn't feel right to her so she went to the ER and got a ct scan. The scan revealed a large tumor pressing up against her brain causing mild seizures.
September 2nd she underwent brain surgery to remove as much of the tumor as possible, and overall had been very successful. A biopsy identified the tumor to be a grade 4 tumor known as Glioblastoma, the most aggressive and deadly form. believed to have been caused by the radiation she endured as a child to rid her of her prior cancer, this was the worst case scenario. In the following months she underwent chemotherapy and proton radiation therapy which subsequently succeeded in shrinking the remaining tumor that was not able to be mechanically removed during surgery.
For more than a year after treatment we were able to live relatively normal lives. We traveled, laughed, loved, and continued to work. She enjoyed birthday parties for her nieces and nephews as well as several trips to her beloved family cottage in ontario. As time went on however, the brain tumor had begin to return and in November of 2017 the prognosis was no longer favorable and the cancer began to grow unaffected by the treatments being administered.
As time passed she started to show signs of progression. Weakness in her right side and not being able to find words. On February 22nd Allyson had an MRI the revealed what I had feared. It had spread to her brain stem and was the cause of her worsening symptoms. February 23rd she was placed under hospice care. I am forever thankful for being able to spend the last 5 weeks by her side tending to her in her final days. It was such an amazing experience to be able to be her caregiver.
At 2:30 am on April 4th, I was awoken by the night time aid and informed that she had passed. When I went to say goodbye to her she was peaceful with a smile on her face, and I knew that she wasn't in pain anymore.
Allyson passed away peacefully on April 4, 2018 around 2:30 AM after an incredibly hard fought battle with cancer.
For those of you that don't know, Allyson has spent nearly her entire life fighting cancer in one form or another. When she was 5 years old she was diagnosed with rhabdomyosarcoma, a form of soft tissue cancer. She underwent treatment, but unfortunately 20 months later when she was 7 the cancer returned. After another lengthy battle, Allyson had finally won and began the long healing process, and her life was good again.
Fast forward 20 years, several reconstructive surgeries and hardship; I was given the gift of being able to marry her on August 13th 2016. 10 days after getting married and being home from our honeymoon, something didn't feel right to her so she went to the ER and got a ct scan. The scan revealed a large tumor pressing up against her brain causing mild seizures.
September 2nd she underwent brain surgery to remove as much of the tumor as possible, and overall had been very successful. A biopsy identified the tumor to be a grade 4 tumor known as Glioblastoma, the most aggressive and deadly form. believed to have been caused by the radiation she endured as a child to rid her of her prior cancer, this was the worst case scenario. In the following months she underwent chemotherapy and proton radiation therapy which subsequently succeeded in shrinking the remaining tumor that was not able to be mechanically removed during surgery.
For more than a year after treatment we were able to live relatively normal lives. We traveled, laughed, loved, and continued to work. She enjoyed birthday parties for her nieces and nephews as well as several trips to her beloved family cottage in ontario. As time went on however, the brain tumor had begin to return and in November of 2017 the prognosis was no longer favorable and the cancer began to grow unaffected by the treatments being administered.
As time passed she started to show signs of progression. Weakness in her right side and not being able to find words. On February 22nd Allyson had an MRI the revealed what I had feared. It had spread to her brain stem and was the cause of her worsening symptoms. February 23rd she was placed under hospice care. I am forever thankful for being able to spend the last 5 weeks by her side tending to her in her final days. It was such an amazing experience to be able to be her caregiver.
At 2:30 am on April 4th, I was awoken by the night time aid and informed that she had passed. When I went to say goodbye to her she was peaceful with a smile on her face, and I knew that she wasn't in pain anymore.
Organizer
Curtis McMullen
Organizer
Ravenna, OH
