Cancer Treatment Costs for my Mom and Family

To whom it may concern,

My name is Isabella Humphries and I have created this GoFundMe page in order to help support my mom and dad through a difficult financial strain.

My mom, Lori Humphries, had been feeling ill for quite some time but it wasn’t until a large tumor was discovered within her kidney that we found real answers to these mysterious health issues. On May 6th, 2020 she went to the doctors with a 10/10 pain in her left flank. They did immediate imaging, and within a few hours, she got a call while sitting at the dining room table eating dinner. The doctor revealed she had a large mass in her left kidney and needed to see a Urologist as soon as possible. I will never forget the date May 6th, 2020 because my family’s lives changed forever. At first, we were told the tumor had caused Stage Ib kidney cancer and she would need to remove her kidney to eradicate this cancer and she would be just fine. Unfortunately, that was not the case. Within weeks our world was turned upside down, further imaging and consulting with Seattle Cancer Care Alliance, revealed that my mom has Stage IV metastatic renal cell carcinoma. Her cancer has spread all over her bones ranging from her L5 vertebrae in her lower back all the way up to her occipital skull bone. In the middle of all her metastases, there is a tumor on her 9th rib, which caused the pain leading to her diagnosis. My mom’s cancer is a non-curative type of cancer discovered in an advanced stage. Suddenly, my mom was given a 2-4 year prognosis, enrolled in a clinical trial, and started life-extending treatment.

I watched my mom fight to remain the woman she was before her diagnosis for a long time. She stayed strong and brave through multiple radiation appointments, countless infusions, and too many complications to name. For months, she remained in her job and continued to sacrifice her time for us so we wouldn’t have to worry about money or our futures. My mother has spent her life, since 19 years old, working day and night to provide every penny needed for us to have any future we desired. In an instant, all her work had been put on pause and she had to put herself first. The treatment finally took its toll on her body and she left her job. Although my mother still holds all the qualities and traits that make her the amazing person she is, cancer did change her life forever.

My mom is an extremely proud woman and does not like to ask for help, so I am asking for her. After 2 years of carrying the financial weight of the impactful loss of her income, her insurance, and the cost of cancer treatment, finances are much more challenging and stressful for my mom and dad. I wanted to start this Go Fund Me account for my parents to hopefully relieve some of the financial stress in their lives so we can focus more on time together, making memories, and finding peace. Cancer treatment is outrageously expensive and when people need their insurance and income the most, they lose it due to loss of work, which in no way is fair.

My mom is my hero, my best friend, our rock, and the glue that holds our family together. She has accomplished so much in her life but always tells her children that we are her greatest accomplishment and what she is most proud of. She is kind, compassionate, strong, and never stops taking care of and doing things for others whenever she can. We pray daily for new treatment options and time. Time is all that any of us could ask for. Any time we can gain, moments we can experience, and memories we can create will be a blessing.

Thank you for reading this and considering helping our family during this challenging journey, anything truly helps. My mom always says “In a world where you can be anything, be kind.”.

Respectfully,

Isabella Humphries