We need your help!!!

Right now, our dear Clarissa can use all the love and support she can get. Not only has she been diagnosed with Renal Cell Carcinoma (kidney cancer), resulting in the removal of her right kidney, she also has been diagnosed with a very rare condition called Paraneoplastic Limbic Encephalitis (PLE).  PLE is a neurological syndrome, associated with cancer that selectively effects the limbic system structures of the brain including the hippocampus, hypothalamus, and amygdala. Patients with this syndrome often suffer from cognitive impairment, short term memory loss, personality, emotional and behavioral changes, as well as seizures.

Clarissa before diagnosis 

 Her friends, family, and co-workers know Clarissa to be a God-fearing woman. She knows how God can change your life and uplift you from darkness because He has done that for her many times. She is a fun loving, vivacious, and strong woman. She is the glue that holds her family together. She is a loving mother, grandmother and life partner, and a wonderful example to her children, grandchildren and peers alike. She has a giving spirit full of compassion, strength and determination. She has a light that shines so bright her smile lights up the room. It’s easy to see how she has so many people who love and care for her.

 She is also a champion for the drug and alcohol recovery community. She has been working for the Genesis House Inc., a non-profit residential drug and alcohol treatment facility, for nearly 30 years. This place saved her life when she needed help.  Because of this, she is steadfast in her conviction to help those also seeking a life free from the darkness of addiction. She, herself, is an example of how you can turn your life around with the help of God, an awesome treatment program and an amazing support system of family and friends. She has shared the knowledge she has gained over the years helping and counseling others. In addition, she has dedicated endless hours to fundraising and networking as their fiscal officer to help keep the program available to the community.

Now she needs your help 

We are confident that this community, which includes you, will help her get better.  Any money you can give will go directly toward medical costs, living expenses, rehabilitation, home care assistance and other related costs - present and future. Your assistance, whatever it may be, will help her family weather the storm.

Clarissa had a series of unfortunate events, which caused her to be hospitalized.  I would like to fill you in as to how we got here and why we need your help to raise $250.000.00 ...please read on...

Clarissa’s medical crisis begins

On May 18th, 2020, Clarissa was found unconscious and alone in the restroom of the Safeway in American Canyon.  The doctor’s initial diagnosis was a Transient Ischemic Attack (mini stroke).  She was discharged after three days from Kaiser Vallejo. Unfortunately, the next week she suffered 3 debilitating seizures. 

After the third seizure, the hospital admitted her.  A scan revealed a mass on her kidney, then a biopsy confirmed Renal Cell Carcinoma (Kidney Cancer).  According to the doctors, having seizures was a rare occurrence with this type of illness; however, the medical team attributed the cancer as the cause of the seizures.  On June 8th, surgeons performed a cryo-ablation (freezing) of the mass, but, for several days after the procedure, Clarissa continued having seizures. 

 A test result from the Mayo Clinic revealed the swelling on her brain was indeed Paraneoplastic Limbic Encephalitis (PLE). This confirmed that the cancer had metastasized from her kidney to her brain. The next recommendation was to remove the "sick kidney" and perform a Nephrectomy (kidney removal).  Still in ICU, Clarissa was able to go five days without a seizure.  At last, stable enough to have the procedure. 

June 24th was a big day for Clarissa. After a successful Nephrectomy (kidney removal) surgery, and, after a few more days in the ICU, she was finally transferred out.  On July 11th, Clarissa was moved to the rehabilitation facility of the hospital.  It took a week of adjusting her medications before she was able to participate in the rehabilitation programs, physical, occupational and speech therapy.

 Medically, she is stable, but neurologically and mentally, she is not.  Most notably, our once-vibrant Clarissa is no longer the same as before this unfortunate medical emergency.  She is experiencing several negative impacts, including cognitive impairment, personality changes, short-term memory loss and delirium, to name a few.  Due to the seizures, she has suffered significant brain damage, and only Our Lord, and time, will tell if she will ever heal from this.

We need your help with medical expenses and her continued care

Clarissa’s hospital stay came with a great deal of medical expenses. For example: The four ambulance trips to the ER cost $1,000.   Her 20-day rehab stay (which was not covered by her medical insurance) at $600 a day has already cost her and her family over $15,000. This is all before she even got out the hospital.

Finally, on July 31st, after 62 long days away from her family, she was released from the hospital to continue her healing in the comforts of her own home.

Clarissa has a potentially lifelong road of recovery ahead of her. Unfortunately, this comes with many more expenses. While at home she will need to continue her rehab. That costs $30 per each therapist visit. She is also on over a dozen medications now to keep her comfortable and medically stable which cost over $200 for a month’s supply. Not to mention the continued doctor visits to different specialists. This is just the beginning of her home care expenses.

It doesn’t help that applying for government assistance is so backlogged that waiting for her paperwork to be processed may take several months.  It also does not help with COVID-19 that the wait for any support is so lengthy.

As we hope and pray that Our Lord will perform a miracle on our dear Clarissa once more and deliver her from this horrible condition. The reality is she will need 24-hour care for an undetermined amount of time. Due to the impairing symptoms PLE has left her with, she is not the same Clarissa we once knew. She needs assistance in almost every aspect of her life right now.

 As a result of all her needs, Clarissa’s longtime partner, Byron, has been forced into early retirement, as he is the only person now able to provide her around-the-clock care.  But he needs our help now.  In-home care at $18,000 a year, for 8-hours of care, is very costly and skilled nursing facilities, 3 times the amount for 24-hour care, are very expensive and without help, this is not financially feasible.

Please return the favor

Clarissa has been a pillar of strength and compassion for many of us.  Now it is time to return the favor. We humbly ask for your donation to help provide Clarissa the continued care she needs. Please share this page to help get her story out to as many people as possible. And please continue to pray for the healing of her beautiful mind, delicate body, and fighting spirit.  Please also pray for Clarissa’s family during this difficult time in their lives. Together, we can make a difference in her life, as she has made a difference in ours.

We encourage you to share your love however you see fit.  And check back here for updates on her progress.  If anyone has questions, please refer them to this page.

With our sincerest appreciation and gratitude, we THANK YOU for taking the time to hear her story.

Sincerely,

Clarissa’s Family