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On May 12, 2017 my wife Charna underwent surgery and was diagnosed with a very rare form of uterine cancer. This was her 2nd cancer diagnosis in 3 years (she beat breast cancer in 2015), and her 3rd major surgery in 2 years. Our lives have been forever changed since this new cancer diagnosis, which is unrelated to her first and far more aggressive. She had to have a complete hysterectomy to save her life and went through chemotherapy in 2017.
Having children has always been Charna’s dream. When asked what she wanted to be when she grew up, she brought her Cabbage Patch doll to elementary school and answered, “A mom.” I was drawn to her instinctive way with children and nicknamed her the “baby whisperer.” I was also attracted to her warm, bright personality, innate strength and huge heart.
Prior to her breast-cancer surgeries in 2015 it was unclear if Charna would need treatment that would prevent her from having children. To ensure her dream remained alive, she froze her eggs and remained hopeful that she’d be able to have a family of her own one day. After the surgeries she was declared cancer-free and did not need further treatment. Her body was changed, but her huge heart, positivity, and hope remained. She became a vocal advocate and offered a ray of light and helpful voice to anyone struggling with the disease.
Charna and I moved back to our hometown of Miami in October 2016, and joyously celebrated our wedding in November. Two weeks later, she began having severe discomfort in her abdominal area. She endured this pain and weekly fevers for months and was misdiagnosed several times. Initially, we were told she had an overactive bladder, then that she had a fibroid that, although extremely uncomfortable, would not affect her health or ability to carry a baby to term. Our physicians felt we could begin trying to have a family and Charna managed daily discomfort, all with the deep hope of giving birth to a healthy baby. After 3 months, a blood test was ordered that came back with alarming results of severe inflammation in her body. A specialist diagnosed Charna with a degenerating fibroid. As this type of fibroid makes pregnancy unsafe, we put our dreams of a family on hold and made Charna's health the ultimate priority. The delay was disheartening, yet there was still hope to get pregnant after the surgical fibroid removal.
On May 12, 2017 Charna underwent open surgery through her abdomen, expecting that she’d wake up with her fibroid removed. There was less than a .1% chance of needing a hysterectomy, her absolute worst nightmare. I waited, expecting good news, just as I had received after her previous surgeries. An hour into the procedure, her surgeon walked into the waiting room; my heart dropped to the floor and tears welled up for my sleeping wife as he described finding her uterus riddled with cancer, to the point that it had ruptured when he attempted to position it. Charna would now need a hysterectomy to save her life. Cancer was also found on the superficial portion of her bladder. The uncomfortable "fibroid" Charna had experienced for months was actually a malignant tumor. The hysterectomy would end her dream of giving birth to a child, and Charna would open her eyes to a nightmare.
As much pain as she was in physically from the aggressive surgery, emotionally she was in worse pain from the news of cancer and infertility. Charna had been limited for many months with severe discomfort that affected her ability to work, sleep, and function normally. Chemotherapy also added on limitations and hardship, nonetheless, Charna's courage, strength of spirit, and determination to become once again cancer-free—not only for herself, but for her future family—is evident daily.
Through this horrifically difficult time, we have received tremendous support from our friends and family, for which we are extremely grateful. Everyone is asking if they can help and what they can do. We are appreciative of all your thoughts and created this page as a resource to provide medical updates, and secondarily give people the opportunity to assist financially if they would like to (which is welcome, but by no means expected). Unfortunately, Charna’s health insurance is limited in its coverage, and there will be many medical costs that we’ll incur over the next few months that are outside the realm of insurance. Additionally, we hope to create a family and bring children into this world through a surrogate(s), the cost of which could reach upwards of 200K, with lawyers’ fees and medical expenses. Although there have been hardships and future obstacles are evident, our faith remains steady for her health and for creating a family together.
Charna and I are fully aware of how lucky we are for having each other and all of you in our lives.
Thank you for sharing your light, your warmth and your love and we wish you all nothing but the best.
Having children has always been Charna’s dream. When asked what she wanted to be when she grew up, she brought her Cabbage Patch doll to elementary school and answered, “A mom.” I was drawn to her instinctive way with children and nicknamed her the “baby whisperer.” I was also attracted to her warm, bright personality, innate strength and huge heart.
Prior to her breast-cancer surgeries in 2015 it was unclear if Charna would need treatment that would prevent her from having children. To ensure her dream remained alive, she froze her eggs and remained hopeful that she’d be able to have a family of her own one day. After the surgeries she was declared cancer-free and did not need further treatment. Her body was changed, but her huge heart, positivity, and hope remained. She became a vocal advocate and offered a ray of light and helpful voice to anyone struggling with the disease.
Charna and I moved back to our hometown of Miami in October 2016, and joyously celebrated our wedding in November. Two weeks later, she began having severe discomfort in her abdominal area. She endured this pain and weekly fevers for months and was misdiagnosed several times. Initially, we were told she had an overactive bladder, then that she had a fibroid that, although extremely uncomfortable, would not affect her health or ability to carry a baby to term. Our physicians felt we could begin trying to have a family and Charna managed daily discomfort, all with the deep hope of giving birth to a healthy baby. After 3 months, a blood test was ordered that came back with alarming results of severe inflammation in her body. A specialist diagnosed Charna with a degenerating fibroid. As this type of fibroid makes pregnancy unsafe, we put our dreams of a family on hold and made Charna's health the ultimate priority. The delay was disheartening, yet there was still hope to get pregnant after the surgical fibroid removal.
On May 12, 2017 Charna underwent open surgery through her abdomen, expecting that she’d wake up with her fibroid removed. There was less than a .1% chance of needing a hysterectomy, her absolute worst nightmare. I waited, expecting good news, just as I had received after her previous surgeries. An hour into the procedure, her surgeon walked into the waiting room; my heart dropped to the floor and tears welled up for my sleeping wife as he described finding her uterus riddled with cancer, to the point that it had ruptured when he attempted to position it. Charna would now need a hysterectomy to save her life. Cancer was also found on the superficial portion of her bladder. The uncomfortable "fibroid" Charna had experienced for months was actually a malignant tumor. The hysterectomy would end her dream of giving birth to a child, and Charna would open her eyes to a nightmare.
As much pain as she was in physically from the aggressive surgery, emotionally she was in worse pain from the news of cancer and infertility. Charna had been limited for many months with severe discomfort that affected her ability to work, sleep, and function normally. Chemotherapy also added on limitations and hardship, nonetheless, Charna's courage, strength of spirit, and determination to become once again cancer-free—not only for herself, but for her future family—is evident daily.
Through this horrifically difficult time, we have received tremendous support from our friends and family, for which we are extremely grateful. Everyone is asking if they can help and what they can do. We are appreciative of all your thoughts and created this page as a resource to provide medical updates, and secondarily give people the opportunity to assist financially if they would like to (which is welcome, but by no means expected). Unfortunately, Charna’s health insurance is limited in its coverage, and there will be many medical costs that we’ll incur over the next few months that are outside the realm of insurance. Additionally, we hope to create a family and bring children into this world through a surrogate(s), the cost of which could reach upwards of 200K, with lawyers’ fees and medical expenses. Although there have been hardships and future obstacles are evident, our faith remains steady for her health and for creating a family together.
Charna and I are fully aware of how lucky we are for having each other and all of you in our lives.
Thank you for sharing your light, your warmth and your love and we wish you all nothing but the best.