Beating Cancer Twice Wasn't Enough of a Challenge

Cara and Robert (Bobby) Greenwell are not new to the challenges of life. Cara, a registered nurse (RN) who works in the emergency department, has already navigated the trials and tribulations of battling cancer in recent years. Not once, but twice. You might imagine the shock and dismay of finding out you have cancer for the first time. But to learn you have it a second time would be overwhelming and deflating for most. Instead of allowing the challenge of the second notification defeat her, she simply “laced up her boots and leaned into it with everything she had.” It takes a special kind of strength, grit, and determination to keep composure and make it through alive. She did.

As if this doesn’t say enough about her will, determination, and grace Cara is also a mother of six children ages 3, 5, 6, 8, 9, and 18. She works the night shift at the hospital. She often returns home from work and takes care of the children by getting the older ones off to school, etc. while Bobby leaves for his job. She grabs sleep as conditions allow, often placing the others’ needs before her own well-being.

But the challenges have not stopped there. Recently, Cara experienced a stroke. The stroke placed her in the hospital at the most inopportune time. You see, Bobby was on a short-term assignment overseas in Israel. The news was devastating and incomprehensible to him. Only a few hours after receiving notification of his wife’s condition, he was on a flight to be by her side. Thankfully, she survived. The doctors found that Cara has a defect in her heart which requires surgery.

Cara’s first thoughts after the incident concerned the well-being of her family and financial worries of losing her income while she rests and awaits the procedure. Although a path forward has been discussed with her doctor, her future is blurred by the unknown of time and physical recovery. The family’s financial degradation due to this event will certainly be catastrophic by many measures. Additionally, Bobby will not likely return to his assignment in the near future which causes additional financial strain on the family’s finances.

Neither Bobby nor Cara requested this GoFundMe to be set up. Instead, their pride of always taking care of themselves shined brightly. It was only after lengthy communication that they decided to accept this help by stating “Literally, every little bit helps.” The amount we are attempting to raise will cover estimated loss in wages and some medical expenses, although the costs will likely be much higher. It is not padded for financial gain. It’s the amount that would help Cara and Bobby stand back up and try again.

One can find a plethora of causes to give to on various websites. These two are deserving of your thoughts, prayers, and whatever financial assistance you can spare. I am Bobby's team member on the overseas assignment and can tell you that he carries himself with a high level of integrity and pride. He is truly missed by the entire team not only because of his skill, but also because of his terrific attitude.