Hi, my name is Jessica and I am fundraising to help my mom out during her second diagnosis of cancer in less than a year.

She was first diagnosed with non-small cell lung cancer on January 24, after a routine screening in November 2020 that led to the removal of the left upper lobe of her lung in Bangor at Northern Light in February 2021.

In July, she went to the doctor's complaining of a bruise and pain in her left thigh. Thought at first to be a hematoma, she was in September 2021 diagnosed with myxofibrosarcoma.

My mom has had consultations in Bangor and Boston for this second cancer diagnosis. Due to the rarity of the cancer, the physicians in Boston at Dana Farber and Brigham and Women's Hospital feel very strongly that the best option for her treatment be there where they handle many more sarcoma cases.

Boston is not in her current network on her health insurance. There were many calls, texts, emails, faxes sent for appeals to get ANY sort of coverage in Boston over the last month and a half. Some decisions were overturned, and some coverage compared to what it was, was accepted. Mom will be switching insurance companies in the new year and hopefully we will be headed in a better direction.

Radiation for 5 weeks (25 sessions) starts on this coming Tuesday, November 16. Then there will be 4 weeks’ time followed by surgery to remove the tumor. Plastic surgery will be needed as well and chemotherapy if they are unsuccessful in removing it all. This is something that can return although we are absolutely in hopes that it does not.

Our mom is a beautiful woman in mine and my brother's eyes, who has shown strength in all sorts of ways.

She, for many years, worked 2 to 3 jobs to make sure we had everything we needed as a single mom.

She has worked hard for what she has previously in life and now.

She is a very private person. Wants to enjoy life and what she has.

She appreciates, is proud and takes care of it. No matter what it is.

She loves us and our kids. They are absolutely, so much of her heart.

Hopefully, she has many more years to make memories with them and us.

She has stopped working as of last week (driving school bus- she is missing her kids already) and will be out until around April without any complications. Although some coverage has been granted, there are still a lot of medical bills already here.

Doing the treatment in Boston has costs for lodging accommodations, daily parking fees, travel costs and more. Not to mention, the loss of wages in general for the next at least 5 months. After all the initial treatments she will still have to continue to go back for checkup appointments as well; every 3 months for the first 2 years, every 6 for the next 3 and then once a year up to 10.

My mom is not one to ask for help, although she does for and gives to others without question, which is why I am doing it for her and hoping we can lend Heidi a Helping Hand by lessening some of the financial burden during this already difficult time.

If you’re not able to donate, a share is just as important, helpful, and so much appreciated. And always prayers and good thoughts and greetings of any kind are needed as well!!

Thank you from the bottom of our hearts.