Ginny's Cancer Treatment (II)

Darling Ginny was just starting her senior year of high school when she was diagnosed in November with stage IV metastatic adrenocortical cancer. This is a very rare (roughly 1-in-a-million) form of cancer and is especially unusual in those Ginny's age.

Since then, she has had a 9-hour surgery (imagine a surgery so long that ~a dozen doctors involved all have to take lunch breaks in the middle of it!). Surgeons removed a large tumor from her abdomen along with parts of her diaphragm and liver.

Ginny has now completed 4 rounds (of 8 planned rounds) of chemotherapy. Each round involves ~5-day hospital stays at Children’s National Hospital in Washington, D.C. receiving transfusions-- she's on four different powerful drugs, all having significant side effects. We are in the hospital far more than we are at home these days.

I'm with her in every sense, and glad I can do that.

As you may imagine, (in addition to many other challenges) this is financially challenging.

It's not just medical costs, it's that as a single mom who is now on long-term leave from my job as a teacher, I have no income and am about to lose my healthcare benefits. So, it's COBRA & co-pays plus general bills, food costs, keeping the roof over our heads, and a reliable car to get to hospitals. With no salary until further notice.

If you can help make it possible for me to stay by Ginny's side through 8 (or more) rounds of chemo, through her physical/mental/emotional-social challenges. That would be profound.

I don't have a lot of options right now. As I say to Ginny all the time now, "WE HAVE ONLY ONE GOAL: to take care of you/get you better. All the rest is details that I hope will fall into place. " We'll find a way because that is what we need to do.

Your kindness and support mean more than you can imagine. ❤️