A legacy of hope & strength- Casey's cancer story

A legacy of strength and hope- Casey’s fierce battle for life

The words of Casey Clifford, January 30 2021::

“I am a Metastatic Breast Cancer Survivor. (Hodgkin Lymphoma as well)

Before my cancer diagnoses I existed. Today I keep active. I eat in moderation and am with those who add value to life

ABC attitude, believe, choice

PPP prayer, perseverance, patience

The tragedy of Life is not Death, the tragedy of Life is being alive and not living Life

Its just a bend not the end. God only sends His strongest soldiers to battle.

I'm incurable and advanced, I'm Metastatic, I'm stage 4 however I do not let those words define me”

:::::::

I am reaching out for your support and generosity in a time of such heartbreaking and devastating loss of our beautiful Casey.

Casey was a bright light in this life, full of joy, laughter, smiles, and lots of sparkle. Caregiver- to her 2 young children and family as well as professionally to so many other families over the years as a nanny, counselor, companion. Helping others came naturally to Casey and brought her so much joy. Nature lover- Casey was happiest in nature, whether it was through hiking the Appalachian trail, ice skating, skiing, leading children on nature excursions. Creative- she always had an art or craft project going for herself, with her kids, or as part of a community connection.

Casey was diagnosed with Hodgkin’s lymphoma over 10 years ago. She was able to beat it through painful treatments and go on to start her beautiful family with her husband. Casey has two vibrant young children with whom she shared her love of life on their family farm in Vermont. Such a short time after starting their family Casey started to feel sick again but was not diagnosed correctly until it was too late- a stage 4 diagnosis of breast cancer and bone cancer and brain cancer at the very end. She fought so hard for most of the last 4 years of that diagnosis- through so many more treatments and so much pain. Casey tried so hard to remain full of life and positivity and strong through this painful journey. She spent the last 3 weeks in hospice and heartbreakingly passed away this week.

Casey was a dear friend of mine for over 15 years. I’ve watched her and her family struggle over the years with her cancer. Her family was a two income family and for the past few years Casey has been in and out of employment between treatments and illness and completely unable to work for the past several months. The past 4 weeks have been daily trips to the hospital almost an hour away. Prior to that it was numerous trips just as far for treatments and hospitalization. Thankfully most of Casey’s medical treatment has been covered by insurance but the small supplies to keep going add up. And now there are the final details of Casey’s life to consider.

The emotional toll of losing a mother and wife is immense and the last thing we want is her family having to worry about the financial hardship that came along with Casey’s fight with cancer. I am asking for your support and generosity to help alleviate this family’s burden. Funds raised will help cover daily living expenses, hospital and treatment travel expenses, and end of life arrangements. This family has lost so much, they need our support. Any amount donated, small or large, will make a huge impact on this family’s life as they grieve and learn navigate life without Casey