I am opening this Go Fund Me page for a friend and colleague, Jeanie Kirk who is overwhelmingly burdened with medical expenses and upcoming costs. She is not one to ask for help, rather she has always been dedicated to helping others. Over the past couple of months, Jeanie has shared with me her wish for peace in leaving no debt or placing any financial burden onto her family. Together we can help her with this wish. Here is her story:

Jeanie was diagnosed in August 2019 with a rare form of female cancer (about 0.3% of all cancers found in women.) In December 2019 she had an extensive surgery that she was told led to a “cure”, but a February 2020 scan showed cancer in a different area, and brought another extensive surgery and another conclusion from the doctors that it was now cured. But unfortunately, another scan and biopsy in July 2020 showed that a malignant tumor had now developed and that its location made it too risky to perform surgery this time, so the focus became curative chemotherapy and radiation with the idea of shrinking the tumor so surgery could become an option. Instead, the tumor continued to grow.

The next step was trying immunotherapy a reasonable idea, but very expensive and a bit of a disaster. In Jeanie's words,

"If you’ve ever ridden a horse (this happened to me when I was in high school) that decides to race a train, and then gets spooked by its whistle, you might be able to imagine what it could be like if you then lost hold of both reins. I fell off the immunotherapy thoroughbred, and we all decided it was not going to be a good fit. There are no more curative horses in the stable at this time."

Jeanie goal now is utilizing palliative rather than curative approaches to manage symptoms and maintain quality of life. She shares,

"The energies of Healing and Hope have never wavered. But Practicality sits here too. Lessons around living in the present, gratitude, and inner peace resonate these days. Letting go and holding close are there as well. I am so grateful for family and friends; for those who have brought their deep knowledge and healing skills my way; and for strangers in passing who have smiled or said a word of greeting.

I am comforted by the words of Ram Dass “We’re all just walking each other home.” "