Help Helen with medical and housing repair costs

This GoFundMe is for my Mother, Helen Stephens.

Some of you may know her as: Mrs. James Stephens, Spouse of deceased Marine Veteran or Mrs. Helen Stephens: Educator, Teacher, Principal or Tutor. Whether she’s an “adopted” or “bonus” Mom or Grandma to you, she needs our help at this difficult time!

On June 23rd, 2021, Helen went to the Emergency Department because she was having very intense pains in her stomach. She had been ignoring this pain since the beginning of May because the end of the school year was approaching and every May is a busy month for our family. She didn’t want to disrupt anyone because as always, she was thinking of others. Anyway, She was told she would need a one hour laparoscopic surgery the next morning for an abscess on her colon.

The hour-long surgery turned into a full-fledged three hour surgery where the Surgeon said, “Imagine my surprise when I saw an orange size tumor that didn’t show up on the CT scan.” The Pathologist confirmed it was colon cancer. Our family was devastated but none more than Helen was and still is as of this day.

Chemotherapy starts soon. We are just getting a few things worked out with the insurance to get it started. This is where the GoFundMe comes into play.

The family was going to have a benefit for her. We ran into an obstacle….we couldn’t find a venue because of Covid-19 and the numbers are going up again. The best we can do is this GoFundMe.

We have found out that Helen has to pay 25% of her medical bills and prescriptions. On top of that, we have found a few things that need to be fixed in her house. All of this has come about within the past two months. We are really rallying around her with love and support. Family is doing what we can to help. We have painted and fixed what we were able to but there are still a few things that need to be done that are “bigger” issues left for the professionals to do. With all of this happening, it is really taking a toll on her. She is worried about being able to afford all of this. On top of it all, she doesn’t know how much longer she will be able to teach because of the chemotherapy and that is literally breaking her heart.

Please, consider giving to Mom. She has always been self-less! She has always put others before herself; constantly helping others by being there for whoever needs her. Most importantly, she is there for her family/friends and let’s not forget the countless children she has taught, tutored and helped over her 40+ years as an educator; or the families she has adopted at Christmas time and the homeless she gives food and money to. She is a good Christian woman and the one thing she does for EVERYONE, is pray for them.

St. Ed 's holds a special place in her heart for being the school that started her Teaching career; St. Tar’s for being the school that started her Administration career; and last, but certainly not least, St. Paul of the Cross, the school she retired from in 2017, but a month later went back part-time because she loved teaching but most of all, she loved the children.

Prayers are appreciated. Updates will be posted as she walks this journey.

We pray for her continued strength and God’s love!

Any questions? Please, do not hesitate to ask!

Thank You from the bottom of my Heart and my family’s!❤️

Andrea Stephens Ball, Daughter