Michelle Gazaway, one of Hawthorne’s own, was diagnosed with Metastatic Squamous Cell Carcinoma cancer in November 2022. She had her first surgery in March 2023, where they removed three cancerous lymph nodes in her neck. In April, she started radiation treatment for the tumor in her throat. She had daily radiation treatments from April to June 2023.

Since this diagnosis and treatment, she has been back and forth to the doctors in Carson almost weekly.

In January of this year, her check-up revealed an abnormality on her vertebrae. After a bone biopsy, it was determined that it was another tumor. She had two, high powerful radiation treatments on Aprl 29th and May 1st. In August, when she had her follow up PET Scan, to see if the radiation worked, two more tumors were found. One on her right hip and the other on her left 2nd rib.

On September 3rd, she started her 15 consecutive days of radiation, finishing up like a champ on September 24th.

Her next hurdle is chemotherapy, which will start on November 4th. Her length of chemo has been noted as “undetermined,” which may mean weeks, months, or years.The doctors don’t know what they’re facing until they see how the cancer reacts to the treatment. What she does know is she will be off work often, traveling to Carson weekly and sometimes daily throughout this process. This will be very costly.

Michelle does have insurance but with high deductibles and out-of-pocket expenses, there will be a lot of travel expenses and medical costs that she shouldn’t have to worry about.

We are asking for any donation you are able to give to help her through financially so she can focus on healing and getting back to normal. We thank you in advance for your donation and ask that you send her lots of prayers.