Brain Cancer--Helping Blythe
Donation protected
In April 2018, Blythe was in her classroom, teaching her fifth grade students, when she suddenly had a 6-minute long seizure. She was rushed to the emergency room and the next day, was told that she had Stage 4 gliobastoma, an incurable brain cancer. Blythe had absolutely no warning or symptoms leading up to the seizure. This is the same cancer that recently claimed the life of Senator John McCain.
Six days after she initially collapsed, Blythe had surgery to remove the tumor, and because she was so worried about her students, returned to the classroom 5 days after the surgery. While she desperately wanted to finish out the school year, it soon became clear that this would be too much.
“Devastating” is not a big enough word to describe this diagnosis. Blythe had 30 days of painful radiation after the surgery, and will continue chemotherapy on a 5-days-on, 23-days-off basis for as long as she lives. The cancer is being held at bay for the moment. But she will never be cancer free.
Blythe is beloved by her students, their grateful parents, and her fellow teachers. She is the kind of teacher who never yells, and yet her classroom is always totally calm and under control. She is the teacher who helps shepherd angsty, pre-pubescent children through a year that can be pretty tough socially. She is the teacher who sees each child for their individual strengths, and is able to channel what some would consider their weaknesses, into productive behavior.
Blythe also has a lot of friends who adore her. She has always been an amazing lady, but her grateful attitude and hopeful spirit during this ordeal has been truly inspiring. Blythe has always been the person who would drop anything for anyone, and this is our chance to return the favor.
As a single mom, Blythe is focused on making memories with her children, Bella (7th grade) and Gavin (6th grade), with the time she has left. But she is no longer able to teach, so finances are tight. Blythe felt very awkward when approached about a GoFundMe account being set up on her behalf, however, when pressed, she said she would love to take the kids to DisneyWorld, and to visit family in Louisiana. We would love it if Blythe could give these memories to her children to have forever, because the day will come far too soon when they will have to go forward in life without their mom.
Of course, with terminal cancer also comes expensive medical bills. Although Blythe has been allowed to remain on the school district’s insurance this year, insurance doesn’t pay for everything. Her chemotherapy alone has a $900 co-pay per month. And Blythe will also gradually need more and more assistance at home with everyday things like housekeeping, laundry, meals, etc.
Our goal is to raise $25,000 to allow Blythe to make as many memories as possible with her kids, without having to worry about her finances, and to remain comfortable in her home when her activities become limited. We would also encourage anyone who has frequent flier miles to donate them to Blythe and her kids.
We hope you will join us in helping Blythe and her kids through this journey, allowing them to make every moment count. Time is of the essence.
Six days after she initially collapsed, Blythe had surgery to remove the tumor, and because she was so worried about her students, returned to the classroom 5 days after the surgery. While she desperately wanted to finish out the school year, it soon became clear that this would be too much.
“Devastating” is not a big enough word to describe this diagnosis. Blythe had 30 days of painful radiation after the surgery, and will continue chemotherapy on a 5-days-on, 23-days-off basis for as long as she lives. The cancer is being held at bay for the moment. But she will never be cancer free.
Blythe is beloved by her students, their grateful parents, and her fellow teachers. She is the kind of teacher who never yells, and yet her classroom is always totally calm and under control. She is the teacher who helps shepherd angsty, pre-pubescent children through a year that can be pretty tough socially. She is the teacher who sees each child for their individual strengths, and is able to channel what some would consider their weaknesses, into productive behavior.
Blythe also has a lot of friends who adore her. She has always been an amazing lady, but her grateful attitude and hopeful spirit during this ordeal has been truly inspiring. Blythe has always been the person who would drop anything for anyone, and this is our chance to return the favor.
As a single mom, Blythe is focused on making memories with her children, Bella (7th grade) and Gavin (6th grade), with the time she has left. But she is no longer able to teach, so finances are tight. Blythe felt very awkward when approached about a GoFundMe account being set up on her behalf, however, when pressed, she said she would love to take the kids to DisneyWorld, and to visit family in Louisiana. We would love it if Blythe could give these memories to her children to have forever, because the day will come far too soon when they will have to go forward in life without their mom.
Of course, with terminal cancer also comes expensive medical bills. Although Blythe has been allowed to remain on the school district’s insurance this year, insurance doesn’t pay for everything. Her chemotherapy alone has a $900 co-pay per month. And Blythe will also gradually need more and more assistance at home with everyday things like housekeeping, laundry, meals, etc.
Our goal is to raise $25,000 to allow Blythe to make as many memories as possible with her kids, without having to worry about her finances, and to remain comfortable in her home when her activities become limited. We would also encourage anyone who has frequent flier miles to donate them to Blythe and her kids.
We hope you will join us in helping Blythe and her kids through this journey, allowing them to make every moment count. Time is of the essence.
Organizer and beneficiary
Tricia Soper
Organizer
Boise, ID
Blythe Baranko
Beneficiary