Kris Nozal - Cancer Thriver

Kris has been surviving the devastating diagnosis of a new, rare, incurable stage IV cancer since Oct. 2017. We are looking for your help to support Kris in her cancer journey. Many of the costs for her current treatment regimen are not covered by insurance and she incurs about $3,000 per month in out of pocket expenses for insurance, therapies, supplements, organic food and travel expenses.

Kris enjoys nature, fitness, travel, and animals. She loves being an animal mom. She has always had a passion for maintaining a healthy, active lifestyle and her personal, educational and professional life were dedicated to health/wellness. From fitness, traveling and volunteering, to lobbying for causes she believes in, Kris has always been a force to be reckoned with. Kris is tackling her cancer journey with the same focus and determination that she has for the rest of her life. Her strength, courage and grace are a true inspiration for others.

Kris is single. She cannot work due to her cancer regimen and she doesn't have a long term employer. She had slowly returned to various contracted jobs and got off disability pay after a 7 year recovery from traumatic brain injuries from an auto accident after where she was T-boned by a sleeping driver. So she had resumed a normal life in 2017, but then she got the cancer diagnosis. Luckily, she is back on disability pay but this only covers her housing expenses. Kris is exhausting her retirement savings to pay for insurance, living and medical expenses.

Kris' cancer is so rare that a medical journal report in Dec. 2017 showed only 29 diagnosed patients in the world! She has a type of Sarcoma - MGNET (Metastatic Gastrointestinal Neuroectodermal Tumors). She has already had major surgery which removed 13 tumors and large portions of her stomach and liver. 3 weeks of aggressive inpatient chemotherapy at the University of Minnesota knocked the cancer back for awhile, but it continues to grow. Presently she has 13-20 overlapping tumors in her liver. These tumors are pressing on internal organs and causing pain, systemic body inflammation and digestive problems.

Kris chose to leave the world of 'conventional only' cancer treatment. She now sees an Integrative Oncology team in a suburb of Chicago called the Block Center for Integrative Cancer Treatment. She receives chemotherapy in addition to high doses of vitamins and herbal medicine once a month. She is confident that this holistic approach will increase her longevity. The Block Center has prescribed personalized supplements and she gets port IV nutraceutical nutrition before and after chemo. These are not covered by insurance nor are the various therapies she does back home. She is grateful that her chemotherapy IS covered by insurance but stepping outside the conventional box and treating cancer holistically costs a lot.

Kris is focused on surviving longer than her original prognosis! (30% chance of living 5 years). Her new doctors hope that if she follows their Integrative regimen and therapies that she could survive 10-15 years. Please help Kris in her fight against cancer.  She needs our prayers and support to be a "Cancer Thriver".  

Other ways you can help Kris:

Amazon/Fresh Thyme/Whole Foods/Costco gift cards: Kris is following a vegan, organic and chemical/GMO free diet as best she can. Eating this way is more costly but necessary for building up her immune system to fight the cancer. Gift cards to the above stores would be very useful. 

You can follow Kris's cancer journey on her CaringBridge site. You will need to email her through the site to get approved.