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We have started this fundraising campaign on behalf of James & Amanda Godsil to aid their effort to fight Amanda’s cancer and take care of baby Luke throughout these hard times…
Thirteen years ago James mustered the courage to ask Amanda out after a class they shared together as freshman at the University at Buffalo. They have been together ever since. After college, Amanda attended graduate school for speech pathology and has worked at the James J. Peters Veterans Medical Center since 2010, helping teach veterans who have suffered traumatic brain injuries how to speak again.
On April 27th of this year James and Amanda welcomed their first child, Luke James Godsil, into the world at Lennox Hill hospital. A few weeks prior to Luke's birth Amanda began having difficulty focusing on certain things, but attributed it to the pregnancy. Just days after the birth she began having trouble saying words aloud and identifying objects. During the next week her motor skills and speech deteriorated rapidly and she began having a difficult time remembering how to speak and write.
By the time they saw a neurologist just a few days later, Amanda could no longer read, identify letters and had trouble speaking. An MRI showed that Amanda had a mass on her left frontal lobe that was swelling and creating pressure on her brain. She would need surgery to remove a grade three anaplastic astrocytoma. This is a very aggressive form of brain cancer found at a late stage of its growth process. On May 24th, the surgeon removed as much of the tumor as possible, though he was not able to remove all of it without affecting brain tissue. Luke turned one month as she lay in the ICU recovering.
The surgery further affected her speech as well as her short-term memory, and the swelling refused to subside. On June 1st, after a week in intensive care, the swelling increased and a second, more invasive, surgery was needed. A craniotomy removed a large part of Amanda’s skull permanently, which helped reduce the pressure on her brain and allowed room for the swelling to finally subside.
Needless to say this unexpected life event, coupled with the birth of their son, has made things very difficult for James and Amanda as they begin life as a young family. We have started this fundraising campaign on their behalf in order to raise money for their medical bills as well as the costs related to Amanda's rehabilitation services. In a painful twist of fate she needs to relearn how to speak, and will have to go through the same process she took veterans through as they recovered from their brain injuries. Amanda's plan of chemotherapy and radiation will place additional monetary and emotional stress on them.
We have started this fundraising campaign on their behalf in order to raise money for their medical bills as well as the costs related to Amanda's rehabilitation services. Most importantly, we are trying to raise money to pay for baby Luke's care during her recovery. The past month has been the hardest time of their lives, and the months ahead will remain challenging. We hope that you will generously support their cause!
Thirteen years ago James mustered the courage to ask Amanda out after a class they shared together as freshman at the University at Buffalo. They have been together ever since. After college, Amanda attended graduate school for speech pathology and has worked at the James J. Peters Veterans Medical Center since 2010, helping teach veterans who have suffered traumatic brain injuries how to speak again.
On April 27th of this year James and Amanda welcomed their first child, Luke James Godsil, into the world at Lennox Hill hospital. A few weeks prior to Luke's birth Amanda began having difficulty focusing on certain things, but attributed it to the pregnancy. Just days after the birth she began having trouble saying words aloud and identifying objects. During the next week her motor skills and speech deteriorated rapidly and she began having a difficult time remembering how to speak and write.
By the time they saw a neurologist just a few days later, Amanda could no longer read, identify letters and had trouble speaking. An MRI showed that Amanda had a mass on her left frontal lobe that was swelling and creating pressure on her brain. She would need surgery to remove a grade three anaplastic astrocytoma. This is a very aggressive form of brain cancer found at a late stage of its growth process. On May 24th, the surgeon removed as much of the tumor as possible, though he was not able to remove all of it without affecting brain tissue. Luke turned one month as she lay in the ICU recovering.
The surgery further affected her speech as well as her short-term memory, and the swelling refused to subside. On June 1st, after a week in intensive care, the swelling increased and a second, more invasive, surgery was needed. A craniotomy removed a large part of Amanda’s skull permanently, which helped reduce the pressure on her brain and allowed room for the swelling to finally subside.
Needless to say this unexpected life event, coupled with the birth of their son, has made things very difficult for James and Amanda as they begin life as a young family. We have started this fundraising campaign on their behalf in order to raise money for their medical bills as well as the costs related to Amanda's rehabilitation services. In a painful twist of fate she needs to relearn how to speak, and will have to go through the same process she took veterans through as they recovered from their brain injuries. Amanda's plan of chemotherapy and radiation will place additional monetary and emotional stress on them.
We have started this fundraising campaign on their behalf in order to raise money for their medical bills as well as the costs related to Amanda's rehabilitation services. Most importantly, we are trying to raise money to pay for baby Luke's care during her recovery. The past month has been the hardest time of their lives, and the months ahead will remain challenging. We hope that you will generously support their cause!
Organizer and beneficiary
Mike Hartigan
Organizer
New York, NY
James Godsil
Beneficiary