Dena Carter

Dena is a 40 year old single mother of 5 boys (23, 19, 10, 8 and 4) who has fought a long and courageous battle with cancer. She has done this with great strength and dignity that one can only pray to have. Dena's 8 year old son, who happens to have Down syndrome, will need special care and attention (care that mommies are supposed to be able to provide) throughout his life and will live with his little brother and their father. Dena loves her children immensely and they are her entire world. This terminal diagnosis has been so very hard on all of them, as I am sure one can imagine. She wants to be able to spend the time she has left enjoying her kids and doesn't want to leave a financial burden. We as her Down syndrome family want to help by raising funds for bills, funeral/burial expenses as well as money for her boys. 


Our friend Dena has fought a very courageous fight with numerous types of cancer for over 4 years now. What started out as Melanoma on her neck, eventually metastasized to her lymph nodes, liver and brain. She has endured numerous surgeries (at least 9) which included 2 brain surgeries in 2018 to remove cancerous tumors that affected the communication areas of her brain. It took her several months of therapy to fully regain her speech. She has endured countless biopsies and surgical procedures which left her with MRSA and sepsis, which almost took her life. She and her doctors were feeling hopeful that the recent treatment would be successful. Unfortunately Dena began to feel more lumps on her head and feared the worst. She returned to Mayo clinic a few weeks ago and was given the terrible news that the Chemo she had been on for the last 3 months had not helped, in fact, her liver was now more cancer than healthy liver. The painful decision to cease all care and go on hospice was made last week. Dena wants to spend her last days enjoying her children and not feeling even sicker from more treatments that would likely be in vain.
If you can,  please help Dena and her family.   If you cannot financially, please keep them in your prayers.