Hi everyone—friends, family, and our extended community,

We’re reaching out during an extraordinarily difficult time— our Gramma Patty was diagnosed with terminal brain cancer last week.

Gramma went to the ER on May 9th and was life flighted to Reno because she was very weak, confused, and nearly non responsive. After being life flighted to Reno from Hawthorne, NV, Gramma spent just over two weeks in the hospital, and we were given the devastating news that she has a rare type of brain cancer that is extremely aggressive and there is no viable treatment. Gramma returned to her home with our mom (Linda) and our Uncle Mike last Saturday, and since then,our family has been working 24/7 to care for her and honor her wishes to die in her home.

It’s very clear that Gramma has built a community over her 12 years here in Mina, as her friends and loved ones have offered so much help, love and support. While we’ve been truly inspired by this, there has been huge unexpected costs to support Gramma in her end of life care.

A major challenge is that Gramma lives in a rural area without access to in-home hospice and very few resources. The closest gas station and grocery store are 60 miles round-trip and we’ve had to make several trips to gather things we need that aren’t covered by medical insurance, but are really important for making sure our Gramma is safe and comfortable at home.

Because Gramma’s diagnosis was so unexpected, and we all live so far away, we’ve incurred many expenses, such as travel to Reno (from Montana, Louisiana, Colorado, and California), and lodging to accommodate the family - including Gramma’s dog, Charlie - while she was being cared for in the hospital. And as we continue to provide care for Gramma in her home, the expenses haven’t stopped. While Uncle Mike and Mom are in Mina consistently, we’ve rotated as caregivers traveling to and from Colorado and California. Additionally, we’ve had to pay out of pocket for a bed that can be adjusted to sit upright for her comfort and medical needs, drive 5 hours to get a bed alarm and camera with a monitor (because even the quickest shipping to her very rural area takes 4-5 days) to help keep Gramma safe while giving her as much independence and peace as possible— and there are so many more essentials that we couldn’t have planned for when providing end of life care in the absence of an official hospice team and the supplies they bring, which we’re learning about as we go.

We’re asking our friends and family for any kind of support you’re able to offer—whether that’s a donation, sending love and prayers, and/or sharing this with your friends and family. Every bit helps, and it all goes toward helping us honor our Gramma’s wishes with love, care, and dignity in her final days.

With love and gratitude,

Destiny & Nikita