My friend Elizabeth is a single mom of two amazing seventh graders in Fairfax, California. On January 25th, following weeks of what she thought was a chest cold, Elizabeth was diagnosed with mediastinal b-cell lymphoma, 1BX, a rare non-Hodgkin lymphoma that resulted in a tumor between Elizabeth’s heart and lungs. She was hospitalized immediately and began undergoing aggressive chemotherapy to shrink the tumor. She’ll undergo a total of six multi-day chemo cycles through June.

“This experience has been surreal, scary and humbling,” she says. “The hardest thing by far was sharing this news with my 13 year-old daughter and son. They are taking it well, though I know they have worries and fears; and of course, I worry for them. But with each passing day, I’m navigating a new ‘normal’ with my family. I have excellent doctors and a stellar tribe of friends and neighbors keeping me going. My doctor reminds me that our goal is to cure.”

This is going to be a marathon for Elizabeth -- one with the odds in her favor if she can focus on getting well. The biggest challenge to focusing on her health is the financial hardship her illness has created. Disability insurance will only provide half her income and the doctors have said she needs to stay out of work until June. As a single mom living in Marin, she hasn’t been able to save enough to cover her rent and necessities with half her income, let alone pay the insurance deductible and access any supportive therapies or services she may need.  

Elizabeth is a devoted mother and a tenacious, warm-hearted person with the strength to come through this ordeal with the help of friends and family. I hope you’ll help Elizabeth on this journey by donating to this fund

 “In the midst of this tumult,” she says, “I believe I am a lucky woman; surrounded by a strong and loving community. Thank you for being in my life and for all your support in helping me to kick this and heal.”