Lora’s Bone Marrow Transplant
Donation protected
Lora Bensmiller Bone Marrow Transplant – Recovery of a Mom, Muscian, Author and Artist
Our much loved friend and passionate local Okanagan Mom, musician, artist and children’s book author Lora Bensmiller had to leave her day job as a preschool teacher to fight the battle of her life against a painful bone and blood cancer called Multiple Myeloma. Although the cancer then showed up through her entire body, it is now currently controlled by regular, exhausting, and uncomfortable radiation and chemotherapy . The inoperable orange size tumor in her pelvis which is so large doctors considered wiring her pelvis together so the tumor wouldn’t break, it is responding to treatment. With her son Joey, husband Mark, and all the children families she helps at school in mind, she fights daily now with every ounce of her being to improve each of the small battle fronts, all with little complaint and a smile and gentle kind words for others. With help from an entire team of doctors, nurses and specialists using radiation and chemotherapy, Lora is at a place now where she can be considered for a bone marrow transplant, which is the long term solution required to rectify the problem.
Lora’s wonderful husband Mark has taken leave from his job as a welder to help care for Joey, because Lora’s mobility is so severely impacted that she can’t even walk and collapses exhausted frequently. She was in so much pain she had to leave the school year early in May, and if you know Lora – you know that had to be a lot of pain – even now amidst her physical and emotional battles dailey Lora says “I was so worried about them because many of them are special needs and I had been with them all year”. Lora is also fighting to get better for her son, her husband, and her Mom and Dad, who have been right there for her. She really wants to be able to share all the unrecorded songs and childrens books she has in her head to help all the kids in her community learn and grow. So much to live for.
This September, Lora’s medical EI runs out. Mark’s EI wont last forever, their savings are running out, and MSP will not cover the $100/day cost for the minimum of 9 weeks (possibly up to 3 months) recovery stay at Jean Barber House (which thankfully includes food) , the facility her mom will stay with her at after the doctors re-install and reboot Lora’s blood and bone system after the complex bone marrow transplant. The already subsidized bill for recovery stay could be anywhere $6000 to $8000 plus travel, and as Lora and Mark are already don’t have income coming in, they are already struggling to not lose their new home with their 7 year old child. Already Lora has undergone extensive invasive testing that permitted extraction of stem cells to be propagated then re-introduced into her own body in October during the marrow transplant procedure. This family needs our help for travel and accommodation costs, as it will already take everything they have for a successful recovery at Jean Barber House.
Lora’s battle began in earnest near Christmas 2017. By Christmas 2018, let’s have her back in her home with Joey and Mark after a successful marrow transplant, to hear her play and sing her original songs and carols with her family, loved ones and community. Please donate $10, $20, $50…. Or whatever you can do, to get this teacher, mom and cherished community member back in action.
Our much loved friend and passionate local Okanagan Mom, musician, artist and children’s book author Lora Bensmiller had to leave her day job as a preschool teacher to fight the battle of her life against a painful bone and blood cancer called Multiple Myeloma. Although the cancer then showed up through her entire body, it is now currently controlled by regular, exhausting, and uncomfortable radiation and chemotherapy . The inoperable orange size tumor in her pelvis which is so large doctors considered wiring her pelvis together so the tumor wouldn’t break, it is responding to treatment. With her son Joey, husband Mark, and all the children families she helps at school in mind, she fights daily now with every ounce of her being to improve each of the small battle fronts, all with little complaint and a smile and gentle kind words for others. With help from an entire team of doctors, nurses and specialists using radiation and chemotherapy, Lora is at a place now where she can be considered for a bone marrow transplant, which is the long term solution required to rectify the problem.
Lora’s wonderful husband Mark has taken leave from his job as a welder to help care for Joey, because Lora’s mobility is so severely impacted that she can’t even walk and collapses exhausted frequently. She was in so much pain she had to leave the school year early in May, and if you know Lora – you know that had to be a lot of pain – even now amidst her physical and emotional battles dailey Lora says “I was so worried about them because many of them are special needs and I had been with them all year”. Lora is also fighting to get better for her son, her husband, and her Mom and Dad, who have been right there for her. She really wants to be able to share all the unrecorded songs and childrens books she has in her head to help all the kids in her community learn and grow. So much to live for.
This September, Lora’s medical EI runs out. Mark’s EI wont last forever, their savings are running out, and MSP will not cover the $100/day cost for the minimum of 9 weeks (possibly up to 3 months) recovery stay at Jean Barber House (which thankfully includes food) , the facility her mom will stay with her at after the doctors re-install and reboot Lora’s blood and bone system after the complex bone marrow transplant. The already subsidized bill for recovery stay could be anywhere $6000 to $8000 plus travel, and as Lora and Mark are already don’t have income coming in, they are already struggling to not lose their new home with their 7 year old child. Already Lora has undergone extensive invasive testing that permitted extraction of stem cells to be propagated then re-introduced into her own body in October during the marrow transplant procedure. This family needs our help for travel and accommodation costs, as it will already take everything they have for a successful recovery at Jean Barber House.
Lora’s battle began in earnest near Christmas 2017. By Christmas 2018, let’s have her back in her home with Joey and Mark after a successful marrow transplant, to hear her play and sing her original songs and carols with her family, loved ones and community. Please donate $10, $20, $50…. Or whatever you can do, to get this teacher, mom and cherished community member back in action.
Organizer
Kristy Blake-Knox
Organizer
Armstrong, BC
