Eva Marie or Em , as we call her, is a 37-year old wife and mother to a 4-year old little girl. She has been battling cancer since November 2013. She is working as a nurse in the Philippines and the irony of her predicament is very heart breaking. A person who was once tending to patients is now a patient herself.
Em was first diagnosed with THYROID CANCER in November 2013 and had undergone total thyroidectomy. In December 2013, she went through a series of radioactive iodine treatment. Nearly a year later, her thyroid markers were elevated and so she went through another round of radioactive iodine treatment. And we thought her battle with the Big C was finally over. Unfortunately, it was not the case.
In June 2021, Em, noticed a lump in her right breast and was diagnosed with MALIGNANT BREAST CANCER. Modified Radical Masectomy was done in July 2021 and she went through 8 cycles of chemotherapy from September 2021 – February 2022. She also underwent External Beam Radiation Therapy from March 2022-April 2022. Her ultrasound, x-ray and bone scan showed clean results.
Just when we thought that her body was responding positively to the treatments, Em again experienced some symptoms. She started having headaches and vomiting in May 2022. Her doctor had her undergo brain CT Scan and we received another heart breaking news.
The cancer cells had already metastasized to her BRAIN. Two (2) lesions were found, one in her frontal lobe and the other one in her thalamus. The best treatment for her right now is Gamma Knife Surgery. This is a non-invasive procedure and has lesser risk/ lower possibility of complications. However, this procedure is quite expensive, especially in the Philippines. Aside from the Gamma knife Surgery, her doctor wants to do a full body PET Scan check for occurrence of metastasis in other parts of her body.
These two procedures would cost about Php 638,000.00 or approximately CAD 16, 000.00. Her family’s finances had taken quite a blow from her previous battles with the BIG C. And so we, her friends, would like to knock on your kind hearts for any help you can extend to her and her family in this new battle.
Please help Em live a longer and better life with her husband and her little girl. Please help her continue to work as a nurse and be able to take care of people who, like her, are suffering from illnesses. Any amount will be greatly appreciated. We believe that giving is not about how much you have but on how much you are willing to share. Thank you very much!