Ursula Blackmon( Funeral/Medical)

My mother, Ursula Rebecca Blackmon (formerly, Ursula Rebecca Schmid) was diagnosed with stage 4 lung cancer in March of 2015. At this time her cancer had already metastasized to her brain. She had two successful surgeries to remove the brain tumor and the tumors from her lungs. She recovered quickly and began radiation for several weeks, followed by months of chemotherapy treatments. During this time she lived a very “normal” life, seeming like her usual, bubbly self. In November 2015, new scans showed a new tumor in her brain, this time too deep and too small to operate surgically. On December 2nd, that tumor was treated with gamma knife radiation. She felt okay for a fews days, but soon began to feel very fatigued, nauseated, and lethargic. She was no longer able to get things done at home, spending most of her time in bed. She was on her way in to a doctors appointment on Dec.22nd when she fell unconscious in the parking lot. She was taken to the emergency room, and after new imaging was done we were delivered the devastating news that the cancer had now spread again. This time it was no longer localized, the cancer had taken over the outer covering of her brain, causing intense amounts of swelling and pressure. My mom was never her true self since those weeks prior. We were torn with this news but remained hopeful and continued to pray with everything we had. My mom went through two more brain surgeries to relieve pressure in hopes of getting her stable enough she would be able to continue more treatments for the cancer. However, a higher power stepped in and had a different plan. Her body grew weaker over the coming days and the doctors expressed that no further treatment would help heal her of this cancer because it was taking over so rapidly. Our family made the decision to provide hospice care to our mother to keep her as comfortable as possible. On the evening of January 7, 2015, family at her bedside laughing over memories of our mother and reminiscing of old times, my mom passed away in the arms of her husband, her high school sweet heart.

Although we knew our mother was very ill, our hearts are crushed with this loss. There are no words to describe the pain and sadness that have come to our family. She was the most amazing and selfless wife and mother of three daughters. She always put her family first. She will be greatly missed. Our lives’ are forever changed.

Although my parents were aware of her sickness, her passing was never an outcome we fathomed. I am putting this fundraiser together with the help of my two sisters Erica Blackmon & Vanessa Vaello in hopes of helping our dad cover the expenses of the funeral as well as the heavy load of medical expenses they have incurred over the past year. I know the goal amount is high but any amount helps us greatly during this time. Any donations are truly appreciated by our family. 

Please continue to pray for our family. 

            - Thank you, Brooke, Erica, and Vanessa