Help for the Halseys

Hello, from Allen, Steve, and Van Dotson. Teri Halsey is our sister, and Torin is our brother-in-law. We are doing something Teri and Torin would never do - reaching out to our shared community of friends and loved ones for help with their immediate medical and personal expenses.

 

As you may or may not know, Teri has been fighting various forms of leukemia and lymphoma since her initial diagnosis in 2006 and was most recently diagnosed with Stage 4 Marginal Zone Lymphoma, a type of Non-Hodgkin’s Lymphoma. The situation this past week has escalated significantly and Teri is now in critical condition.

 

Despite years of chemo and immunotherapy, she has continued to fiercely care for her family - including being the primary caregiver for our mother, who suffers from severe dementia. Throughout all of this, she has continued working full-time and been a dedicated member of the Wichita Falls community. Many of you have served alongside her at First Step, the Junior League of Wichita Falls, and River Bend Nature Center.

 

Her husband, Torin, has been a photojournalist at Times Record News for over 30 years, a member of the Wichita Falls Arts Association, and has taught photography classes at Vernon College. Torin has been a constant support for not just his own family, but for our mother, Pam, as well. We all know he has never met a stranger, is an eternal optimist and the nicest guy in town, but we wouldn’t be Teri’s brothers if we didn’t say he has a special place in heaven for being married to our sister for 35 years.

 

They both have always helped others when needed - but now circumstances have changed and they need our help. Over the past several months, Teri's health has declined to a level that has left her unable to work and has led to 3 lengthy hospital stays. Her body is unable to fight off infection, resulting in multiple rounds of intervention for sepsis. She is now dependent on blood transfusions to maintain minimum levels of platelets and hemoglobin. Additionally, she has experienced several small strokes this past week, though their root cause is currently unclear. Teri was transferred by ambulance to Medical City Dallas on February 5th for more specialized treatment options.

 

At this point, her road to recovery will be long and costly. What form it will take is not yet clear, but most likely includes rehab for the multiple strokes, potential clinical trials, and a possible bone marrow transplant. This may take place over weeks or months.

 

Torin is currently living in the hospital and is prohibited from leaving until Teri is discharged due to Medical City Dallas COVID precautions and her immunocompromised condition. With both Teri and Torin unable to work during this stage of her treatment and recovery, income will be very limited for the family. Our goal is to raise financial support to provide some relief so Teri can focus on healing, and Torin can focus on supporting Teri.

 

Every prayer or financial contribution will be a huge blessing to our sister and her family. As her brothers, we cannot express enough thanks and appreciation for any love and prayers you are able to extend during this critical time.

 

The family will use this page as a source for updates on Teri & Torin as her new course of care is determined and more details become available.

 

Teri's room at Medical City Dallas is 810 South if you would like to send her (or Torin) a fluffy teddy bear or words of encouragement. Please no flowers or food items at this time due to immunocompromised condition.

 

Love,

 

Allen, Steve, and Van

(and our families)