Help Cayla Conquer Verrucous Squamous Cell Cancer

Hello! I am writing this story to support one of the kindest, most genuine women I have ever met! If something can go wrong, Cayla has probably experienced it - her knack for finding bad luck is like no one has ever seen. Anything that will can go wrong - will. Yet every obstacle she has faced, every disaster, every time she has fallen, she gets right back on her feet, and the world only sees her bright smile. She is a role model for perseverance and how to be a good, selfless friend. She has previously faced many, many surgeries and daily pain with endometriosis - but never would she let her bad hand effect anyone else's game.

 

So here's where I need your help!

Like many others, Cayla experienced COVID in October - the rough version. Then, just as she recovered from COVID, she started experiencing extreme pain and needed gall bladder surgery in February. She barely had time to recover before she experienced swelling in her tongue in May. Cayla endured multiple emergency appointments with local specialists to administer shots of steroids to control the swelling, all while reassuring Cayla that they were 100% sure it was not cancer, she was not finding relief. Finally, a doctor ordered a CT, MRI and Surgical biopsy of her tongue. On June 6th, they finally found an answer. Unfortunately, not the answer she was hoping for as the doctor read a very rare and hard to diagnose Verrucous Squamous Cell Carcinoma of the Tongue - cancer. A similar diagnosis caused her father to pass away when Cayla was young.

 

Thankfully, it is contained to her tongue and a few lymph nodes. She will have surgery to remove the cancer and 3/4 of her tongue. A thought difficult to process as most know Cayla as a rock star vocalist on stage. Then, they will reconstruct her tongue from muscle and skin from her forearm or thigh. Due to the magnitude of the surgery, the doctors will need to issue a trichotomy and a feeding tube, leaving her in ICU for at least one day. After this surgery, she will still undergo six weeks of targeted radiation therapy. For six weeks, this mom will need to stay in a Milwaukee Hospital, 2 hours from home, to receive the treatment they hope will save her life.

 

The last few weeks, barely being able to eat, Cayla has lost 40 pounds. The swelling, pain and surgery has made talking and eating very difficult.

 

Through the entire experience, Cayla's husband has needed to take off of work to care for her and take her to the doctor appointments. The financial strain has been difficult, even though they live frugally.

 

They are seeking assistance with medical and general bills while they journey through this difficult path in their lives. The gratitude for any donation of any size is unending from this family. Thank you for reading and we appreciate your donation, prayers and general positivity!