My name is Kaley Blackwell, and my mother was Bonnie Blackwell. My mother battled liver and pancreatic cancer for 7 years. Back in 2017, Bonnie was diagnosed with liver cancer. She had a liver transplant in order to treat the disease. While she was having the liver transplant, the doctors discovered that she had also gotten pancreatic cancer. The new cancer was discovered just in time to be treated. Once Bonnie fully recovered from her transplant, she underwent a surgery called a Whipple, where they cut off the tail end of the pancreas in order to remove the cancerous tumor. During the Whipple procedure, Bonnie coded on the table for about 10 minutes. The final doctor would not give up on her, and he finally brought her back. Bonnie ended up with some broken ribs, but luckily, she had no brain damage from coding. The Whipple surgery was a success, and Bonnie was cancer-free for about 5 years. Bonnie would always do annual MRI scans to make sure that the cancer stayed away. During her annual scan in July 2024, the doctors spotted a new growth on her pancreas that turned out to be a new cancer tumor. The Whipple surgery was no longer an option, so her doctors decided to try chemotherapy. One chemo treatment was so intense that it almost ended her life due to causing kidney failure. Bonnie went back to her original cancer doctor so that she could figure out more options for her treatment. She ended up trying a treatment called Stereo Body Radiation Treatment, which was a treatment that shot photon radiation directly into the tumor. The treatment worked for a few months, but new lesions started growing on her pancreas. The doctors kept an eye on Bonnie's pancreas for many months, and the new lesions showed no progression. During these months, Bonnie started getting back pain, no appetite, and acid reflux symptoms. Even though the scans didn't show the progression of cancer, her pancreatic cancer invaded her stomach. Bonnie could no longer have any cancer treatment and faced many hardships and hospital visits. She passed away on October 17th, surrounded by her family. Bonnie fought until the very end, and she was an inspiration for many people going through cancer.

My mother's health declined very fast during the last month of her life. I have taken time off from work to care for her during that very difficult time. Her passing was much quicker than expected, which has made it challenging to prepare for her funeral. I have created a GoFundMe page to help cover funeral costs. This money will go towards burial expenses and ceremony expenses. Any amount would be greatly appreciated. My mother lived a life dedicated to helping and inspiring others. She was a loving, compassionate person who always put others first.