Help Gretchen with Medical and Moving Expenses

Gretchen Heidi Malinowski was diagnosed with Stage 4 NSCLC (non small cell lung cancer) Adenocarcinoma with an EGFR mutation, exon 19 deletion in July of 2020.  Her 1st line of treatment was infusion chemo: Carboplatin and Pemetrexed. In December they found some disease progression and switched Gretchen to her 2nd line the TKI Afatinib. Gretchen started suffering headaches and numbness in her leg in the past couple weeks and was advised to go to the U of M ER for a MRI scan. Gretchen has now been diagnosed with probable Leptomeningeal Disease which basically means the cancer has spread to the CNS and fluid surrounding her brain. Her 3rd line of treatment will be Whole Brain Radiation Therapy (WBRT) and doctor’s will be looking for her next chemo treatment, it will depend on her new biopsy results if she has a new targetable mutation. Gretchen will complete radiation treatment over the next two weeks at U of M and then will head to Mayo Clinic for a second opinion on April 7th. 

We (Gretchen’s family) have decided to create  this go fund me page in response to an overwhelming amount of inquiries of how people can help. 

Gretchen’s medical costs are adding up even with health insurance coverage. She also would like to put her house in Kalamazoo on the market soon so she can move to Grand Rapids to be  closer to family, and to allow for greater ease in care of her children when needed between family members. Any funds raised will be used for medical expenses, travel and moving expenses/loss of equity/repairs needed in current home prior to listing. 

Thanks to all of you for your love and support! Our family appreciates all of the prayer and love sent to Gretchen! The upcoming weeks will not be easy, but anyone who knows Gretch knows she is full of fight! She is one of the strongest people on this planet! She has blessed people for years with her gifts! Lets bless her now with ours! This will make her burden much lighter.