As Christine Kicks Cancer...

  I have a dear friend who I really want to help!!!  NO ONE wants to reach out and ask for money…. But sometimes, there just isn’t a choice….. and you just need to let others help you through a tough time.  Days like this, I wish I had endless pockets and I could ‘pay it forward’ and really take some stress off someone.   But I don’t.  So here we go… please keep reading…

Approximately 6 wks ago, maybe even 8…. I have lost track of time to be honest with you… my friend Christine Vinstra went to see the doctor again because she was having abdominal pain.  She has had this pain on and off for over a yr and half!  She has gone to see different doctors various times and no one was able to tell her why she was in pain.  Its everyones worst nightmare… not catching cancer early.  So 6ish weeks ago a doctor finally did an ultrasound of her pelvis and they found a mass…..  she had to wait another 2-3 wks to get into oncology and a CT scan was done.  They scheduled her for surgery the following week.  The diagnosis: Ovarian Cancer.  A second CT scan a few days prior to surgery showed it had spread to the colon……. Her physician confirmed after surgery that it is indeed Ovarian Cancer, stage 3.  Can you imagine getting this news?  My heart sunk.  I felt light headed and I had to hold back the tears.  Christine is an RN, a GREAT Pediatric Endocrinology, RN.  She has 2 kids, Morgan just finished her freshman year at MSU and was on the cheer team!  What a doll!  Gavin will be a Junior at Portage Northern next fall. He is so good to his mom, helping around the house and even cooking!!  Christine is a single mom and works to give her kids everything they need and want. 

She started Chemo today.  18 weeks of Chemo.  Every Thursday for 18 weeks. Some sessions will be 7hrs long, some 5 hrs long.   She has not worked in about a month and is now on an FMLA with short term disability.  Short-term disability doesn’t pay full wages, it definitely helps, but it will not be enough to pay her bills.  Medical bills are already rolling in –even working in health care and having good insurance… there is still huge deductibles and out of pocket expenses. 

Here is what I am hoping for Christine.  Wishing I could just do on my own, but can’t. So I am asking you--  I want to raise enough money to pay her mortgage for the next 5-6 months so she does not have to worry about it!  Enough money to pay Consumers Energy. If there is some extra to help with car insurance (Car is paid off, yay!), cable, etc…  then BONUS!!!!!   I CANNOT IMAGINE FIGHTING FOR MY LIFE, CHEMO EVERY WEEK, WORRYING ABOUT MY KIDS AND PAYING MY BILLS.  We have a great group of people bringing food and I am sure that will continue.  Now it is time to think about the next several months which are going to be tough for all involved.   Small donations can really add up!  I am hoping to raise $4,000!!!!   $5k or $6K would be ICING ON THE CAKE!  Please stop for a minute and think about if this were you,...your sister,...your best friend…. Your daughter…. Money is the last thing I want her to worry about! 

Anyone that has any questions feel free to contact me!!!!  I cannot tell you how much Christine means to me and what a good friend she is and how much she deserves a break.

Thank you too all who donate, no matter how much!!!! 

Mollie Lawrence Sternburgh.