Storm clouds come and go fast through our area. Sometimes leaving just a few sticks to pick up, but sometimes you never know what you will wake up to. I am Dayle and I am reaching out to you on behalf of my sweet cousin, Debbie Gapp, who has been now diagnosed with breast cancer and has too many sticks to pick up by herself. I'm helping her with what I can, however, as I am spending the week with her at the Mayo Clinic for treatment, I'm learning she kept many of her personal storm clouds to herself and she really needs more help than she realizes.
I rarely ask for help from anyone, Debbie is worse! And that is why it is time to do this fundraiser. Her name is Debbie Gapp. Debbie is a remarkable, sweet, Christian woman who has spent her entire working life helping others as a mental health specialist and now she needs help. A routine mammogram on March 28, 2024, showed she has breast cancer. But to show you the kind of person she is, you need to know her story and what she has endured.
Debbie had a vertebrae fracture at age 15 and was a candidate for back fusion and disc replacement, but for a number of reasons, she dealt with the pain. In February 2022 she underwent a reconstructive hysterectomy surgery. Still, she put off having that back surgery until the pain became unbearable. She was forced to have the surgery on November 15, 2023. Her back surgery was successful, but the recovery was problematic with sciatica which is a strong pain radiating along the sciatic nerve. She missed many days of work but still cared for her children as a single mother and never asked for help. And then came the stage 2 breast cancer diagnosis.
Debbie, in addition to raising her children, was a caretaker for her aging Mother, who also was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2018. And again, when her mother was sick from 2021 until her death in July 2022. Because of her family and health issues she’s been working less than half the time. Debbie is in private practice as a mental health therapist serving her community and southeast South Dakota as well as a mental health crisis responder working with the Vermillion Police Department, as well as the emergency services at the hospital. Over the last two days of treatment, she has been on her business phone responding to clients. She doesn’t stop from giving or caring for others.
With her income greatly reduced she is still trying to cover her household expenses, raise her kids, and continue to help anyone that needs her help, without asking for help for herself. But with the cancer it’s no longer possible for her to do it alone. She's struggling. She is doing all the right things, but the storm just continues to brew. She has taken drastic measures to decrease expenses, going as far as selling her only working vehicle. I am letting her use my old Chevy I had sitting around for as long as she needs. I am blessed to be with her, drive her to Mayo Clinic, and radiation treatments this week, but things are weighing heavy on her.
Debbie’s treatment plan
Debbie’s cancer treatment plan started Monday with a week-long radiation plan at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, MN. Once she has recovers from both the radiation and reconstructive surgery, she can start to refocus on her back surgery recovery and pain management.
How can you help?
Today is August 6, 2024. I am with Debbie at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, MN as she is going through radiation and in spite of what she is going through, she spent much time on the phone talking to people that needed her help. So, I am asking for your consideration to help her because she won’t ask and because of her mounting expenses, medical bills, living expenses, no vehicle, and not buying groceries for herself...she can no longer do this all by herself any longer. I am confident your $10, $20, or any amount you donate will be used responsibly.
Gift cards, gas or travel assistance here or to Venmo @debbiegapp, and other assistance at her home (like the deck steps I refuse to even go on!) or physical help would be a blessing.
Update 9/20/2024 Debbie is now experiencing issues with her lungs. Mayo found concern with nodules in her lungs and now she will be treated and treated accordingly for this issue.
Organiser and beneficiary
