Hello,
My name is Natalie. I would like to tell you about my mom, Amy Gulotta, 64, who is an incredible woman. From adopting me at age 3 she's been an amazing mother. From constantly being a rock to those around her, she is a bright light. Whether you knew her or not, she is always a friendly face to see. My mom has already fought Breast Cancer not just once in 1997, but a second time in 2007. She is such a strong woman for adopting and raising me all on her own, navigating this crazy world, fighting cancer and so much more. She never asked for help, she was the helper, so here I am doing it for her. 

A little recent History...

April 2018

My mom was in tons of pain, her motions were limited, driving became a challenge and just getting up was becoming painful. The Doctors were telling her that she had pulled a muscle. They sent her for X-Rays with the results saying they saw nothing abnormal.   Amy started physical therapy for a few weeks. Not long after the Physical Therapist realized it wasn’t working and it had to be something else. 

In the end of April, my Mom was back to her primary care who wanted to order a CT Scan of her abdomen. At this time she was having trouble breathing and her HR was high so her Doctor sent her to the Emergency Room where they ordered TONS of tests. There was fluids in her lungs so she had stayed the night. The following morning the CT Scan was done. They found a small mass on one of her kidneys and a small break in her spine. This initiated more and more and more tests and scans... Blood tests, MRIs,  CTs, X-Rays... Every test came back with bad news... Multiple fractures and growths on her spine, more nodules (growths) than you can count in her lungs... Pain. So much pain.  They did a biopsy and the next step was to discuss treatments options. We were all devastated.

Final Diagnosis...

Renal Cell Carcinoma Stage 4

Our best hope was fight it was all we could give and help my mom in anyway we could.

May 2018

The oncologists said radiation would help relieve some pressure and pain. So home my Mom went to try to keep her business going, take care of me, and our precious dog Lea. 
Radiation was daily. Getting up and down, in and out of cars, to go was exhausting and painful. The first round of radiation did help a little bit.

She was sick on her birthday and mothers day. Being her daughter I wanted to give her so much more than spending the day on the couch.

She started Immunotherapy. The side effects were similar to those of the Radiation and Chemo. Constant nausea, tiredness, and overall sickness.

Unfortunately medical issues kept popping up. 

Another hospital visit. The night of my Senior Prom my Mom was back in the Hospital ER. Her leg was swollen. They found a blood clot. She had to have blood thinners and a surgery to help. She was in the hospital for 2 weeks this time. It was starting to take a toll on her.

Home she went again. This time everyday was a struggle. My mom's pain was getting worse, she could hardly move, she had terrible nausea, her leg kept swelling. We took several trips to the ER. Each time they would try something else, more medications, more scans, blood transfusion, pain medications.... this went on all through May. None of the medications were helping and she wasn't responding to any of the treatments. 

June 2018
My mom was hospitalized for weakness. 
The cancer had spread. During another one of her scans they found another tumor in her pelvis. This tumor sucked up all her nutrients, making her overall weaker.  Doctors said radiation again. This time during radiation she was struggling badly to just do everyday activities, taking care of herself, walking, eating, everything was difficult. She kept fighting. She had such a positive attitude. She was sure she'd make it through this. 

She was again hospitalized for weakness and pain management. She had developed a large sore on her back side from the radiation. Severe radiation burns that are like extreme sunburns from the inside out.  It go tot the point where she was too sick and weak to continue treatment. We were in the hospital for a week when they sent us home with supplies to help with the wound and pain. Medicating from home wasn't an option anymore. 

We were only home for one night when we had to go back to the ER. 

This was her final hospital stay. The doctors order more tests and scans. The cancer had spread. She has fought so hard. The Doctors told us that Hospice was her best option at this point. My mom refused to believe it. She wasn't ready for this life to be over. I knew she wasn't ready to leave me. She had only been diagnosed two months ago and now her life was over. there was so much her and I would never get to do. I knew now that the most important thing was keeping her comfortable and doing everything we can to help her feel at peace.

August 2018

My mom went to Lakeview Hospice House in La Mesa, Ca. It was beautiful. The staff was amazing. 
She was in a lot of pain still. The nurses struggled to keep her pain away at first. She only ate 1 "meal" which was a few bites of eggs and some orange juice. She was slowly slipping away. She slept a lot. She talked just a bit. Holding hands and hearing her “I love yous” made what little time we had together special.

It was very difficult for everyone to believe that she was declining so quickly, she was such a vibrant and strong woman. My mom had tons of visitors at Lakeview. Everyone coming in to see her, talk to her, comfort her and myself. She was very loved for being the kind amazing woman she was. We had out of town family coming, some of which was not expected for a week or more. She was restless in her last few days. But my mom waited. She wanted more time with the people she loves. She waited 2 weeks at Lakeview. All family came... and went.

August 11th around 1:00AM, my Mom passed in the quiet. After all, but one friend, left. She was peaceful in the end. 

I have decided to have my mom cremated. I want to have a memorial for her. I want to have a beautiful ceremony for all of her friends and family to come and celebrate her life. She was loved by so many people for good reason. All she did was give and care for the people around her.

The reality is....

I'm 18. I'm barely out of high school. My birthday was in July. We celebrated my 18th birthday in the hospital together. She was upset that she couldn't do more for me. I was devastated that my mom was fighting for her life. 

My mom worked her whole life to give me a home and support me. She went back to school so she could have a good job. She didn't have a lot but she gave me everything. We didn't have much and everything my mom did have is going to pay medical bills. But they are still pouring in.

I am staying with a friend for now. I have my dog Lea who is being cared for by another friend until i find a place to stay. I want to be okay on my own and not depend on anybody. I want to get a job. I want to go to college. 

Thank you so much for reading our story.
Any amount will help pay for her medical bills, any memorial/funeral cost, and the remaining few personal/household costs before she passed and the rest will go to help Lea and I get our feet.