Diane's Medical Expense Fund
Donation protected
To many who know Diane Dennis, they know the most caring, kind, positive and giving woman that she is. Always smiling, Diane will never fail to put another person's needs before her own. Diane is a caring mother to her son, Harry and daughter, April; and is a loyal and devoted companion to the love of her life, Kenny Farnsworth. As the Registrar for the Idyllwild Arts Summer Program for over 26 years, Diane loves her work, her colleagues, and all of the students that come to campus, even personally baking individual birthday cakes for campers away from home. Many know Diane from seeing her walk through town with her trusty sidekick, Miley, her crazy dog. Diane loves to be active and walk in the sunshine and many people will honk and wave when they see her blond hair bobbing down Toll Gate Road.
In June 2016 Diane was diagnosed with Leukemia, a cancer of the blood. Diane began a very small dose of Chemotherapy, but her body’s reaction has caused Thrombocytopenia, a dangerously low blood platelet count. Diane and Kenny travel to get blood tests almost daily to test her blood platelet count and to get blood transfusions to raise the platelets. Unfortunately, the platelets continue to drop to dangerously low levels.
The next step in getting Diane healthy is to proceed with a complete Bone Marrow Transplant. The great news is that Diane already has a match (a 23-year man from Poland!) However, the procedure is dangerous, long, and complicated, and expensive.
Upon her bone marrow transplant, Diane will be entering the hospital for a minimum of 30 days and possibly an additional 70 + days in City of Hope Village housing (an out of pocket expense) Being so far from home will require Kenny to travel back and forth from Idyllwild to Duarte (four hour drive, roundtrip). While in the hospital she will have chemotherapy, radiation, and the bone marrow transplant when her body is ready. She will have to be quarantined for at least 10 days at the start. Although Diane has medical insurance, the many costs are adding up – travel (in their 20 year old car)- gasoline, tire wear, winter driving, housing costs, and incoming medical bills and copays that never end. This process doesn't have an end date on the calendar and she will be dealing with treatments, appointments, and an unknown timeline of when she may come home.
Throughout all of this Diane has never once lost her smile, her optimism, or her faith that she will overcome. Her strength and perseverance is admirable. Please consider donating anything you can to this cause to help get Diane healthy and back home to Idyllwild as soon as possible.
If you can't donate, please keep Diane in your thoughts, prayers, and keep in touch - send her a card, plan a visit, she loves you all so much.
Thank you for your love and support!
In June 2016 Diane was diagnosed with Leukemia, a cancer of the blood. Diane began a very small dose of Chemotherapy, but her body’s reaction has caused Thrombocytopenia, a dangerously low blood platelet count. Diane and Kenny travel to get blood tests almost daily to test her blood platelet count and to get blood transfusions to raise the platelets. Unfortunately, the platelets continue to drop to dangerously low levels.
The next step in getting Diane healthy is to proceed with a complete Bone Marrow Transplant. The great news is that Diane already has a match (a 23-year man from Poland!) However, the procedure is dangerous, long, and complicated, and expensive.
Upon her bone marrow transplant, Diane will be entering the hospital for a minimum of 30 days and possibly an additional 70 + days in City of Hope Village housing (an out of pocket expense) Being so far from home will require Kenny to travel back and forth from Idyllwild to Duarte (four hour drive, roundtrip). While in the hospital she will have chemotherapy, radiation, and the bone marrow transplant when her body is ready. She will have to be quarantined for at least 10 days at the start. Although Diane has medical insurance, the many costs are adding up – travel (in their 20 year old car)- gasoline, tire wear, winter driving, housing costs, and incoming medical bills and copays that never end. This process doesn't have an end date on the calendar and she will be dealing with treatments, appointments, and an unknown timeline of when she may come home.
Throughout all of this Diane has never once lost her smile, her optimism, or her faith that she will overcome. Her strength and perseverance is admirable. Please consider donating anything you can to this cause to help get Diane healthy and back home to Idyllwild as soon as possible.
If you can't donate, please keep Diane in your thoughts, prayers, and keep in touch - send her a card, plan a visit, she loves you all so much.
Thank you for your love and support!
Organizer and beneficiary
Megan McIntyre
Organizer
Idyllwild, CA
Diane Dennis
Beneficiary
