This has been the hardest thing to write, but WE NEED YOUR HELP!

I’m Breanne and this fundraiser is for my 38 year old sister, Crystal. She went into Floyd Valley hospital on December 14 and was transferred to MercyOne at about 2 am. She’s went through a barrage of tests. She was diagnosed with stage 4 terminal lung cancer. They believe that it has went to her stomach and liver based upon scans but still have to stage the cancer and do a PET scan to see where it has all spread.

The tumor had wrapped around her spinal cord and went all the way to her shoulder and was compressing her spinal cord by more than 50%. Their immediate concern was getting it off the spinal cord, as they said she’d be paralyzed within a week likely, if not. They also needed to get the tumor at least 1/4 inch off her spinal cord to be able do radiation. She had emergency spinal surgery on December 21. It was a VERY painful and dangerous surgery but they accomplished both of those goals and the third goal, which was to get a larger sample to do bio marker testing. They had to debalk T2-T4 and she has partial paralysis and loss of sensation in her back. We were thankful it wasn’t T1, as that controls her hands and fingers. They sent in a sample from her biopsy for the bio marker testing and we haven’t received results but it was a small sample. They were able to send a larger sample from the spinal surgery to test for the bio marker. We are praying that the markers come back showing PD-L1 because then immunotherapy could give her 12 months or longer to live. If not, she likely only has a month to live.

In addition she has some infections and has a special infectious control doctor (5 doctors total). They can not start any cancer treatment until that is cleared and today they told us hopefully January 5. It’s a very aggressive cancer, so the sooner the better. It sounds like they are going to release her soon with either a 2 week infusion or PICC line. The oncologist wants to do Neogenomic testing but can not do that until she is discharged.

Crystal has three children, 8, 14 and 16. This has been devastating for them. Spending Christmas in the hospital was rough but at least they were together. If she can move forward with the cancer treatment, it will likely be Spencer, Iowa and my dad and his girlfriend, who is a nurse, will care for her. That will require more trips for her kids to see her and hotels and meals out.

We have created this GoFundMe campaign to raise funds that will help Crystal and her family navigate the financial burdens associated with this medical journey. We are asking for financial support to enable this family to stay together and spend every single moment together and not miss a thing without the added burden of financial stress. In the end, time is all we really have.

What my sister would like more than anything in the world (other than beating cancer) is to take her kids to Disney before she passes. They’ve always wanted to go and other than her oldest child, never flown or taken any big vacations.

Funds will also be used for uncovered medical expenses, hospital stays and other unforeseen expenses.

Thank you all for your love, prayers and support.

With that said;

1. If you are in a position to give, please consider giving to this incredibly personal cause. No amount is too small and everything is appreciated.

2. Please share this message with your network. Together, we can make a difference in her and her kids’ lives during this challenging time

3. Please pray for the Crystal and her family. Prayer is powerful and we need all that we can get.

4. Keep us laughing, after all laughter is the best medicine.

There are already so many thank yous to give. Your kindness and support have touched our hearts in ways I find hard to put into words. In moments like these, we are reminded of the power of community and how we make a significant impact on each other’s lives each and every day. We can not thank you enough and are committed to paying it forward.

Finally, to Crystal, if you are reading this, you’ve got this! Please feel the love, and be empowered by the enormous support and impact of the people surrounding you.