Our dear friend Janice Montecalvo urgently needs our love and support. After briefly losing consciousness and suffering a fall earlier this year, Janice was diagnosed last month with a brain tumor (a meningioma). While meningiomas are thankfully often benign, the size, shape, rapid growth and location are close to an optic nerve. As a result, Janice will require a complicated surgery to remove it, or risk other consequences, such as loss of vision in her left eye and possibly more. Her neurologist described a 10+ hour surgery, a 5-day stay in the ICU, followed by a 3-6 month period of healing and quiet convalescence.

With guidance from friends and family, Janice is in the process of making arrangements for the surgery, including working with her neurosurgeon, the hospital and a rehab location. The surgery will take place in Indiana but this process also includes an eventual move back East from the small Indiana town where she currently lives. A lot of those details remain uncertain at this time.

Like many of our generation, Janice lives on her modest social security income. As well, her physical mobility is limited, making it difficult to work. Janice’s lifestyle activities while living in Indiana over the last several years has included some of her passions such as gardening, cataloging music, and volunteer work at Wolf Park (photo above). As a caring neighbor she also helps her elderly neighbors with chores in and outside the house. A person who has always been incredibly generous with her time and energies, and there for others, Janice now finds herself in need of such care and support.

We have established this GoFundMe to help Janice cover medical expenses and other costs she will soon incur during her healing, including costs to get her moved back East with her beloved feline Renki. The funds raised will cover her rent, moving expenses, food and meals, in-home care, transportation and other bills and daily living costs. We have set a funding goal of $25,000, but every dollar donated is helpful and gratefully appreciated. If you can find it in your heart (and budget) to help Janice in this time of need, even a small way, you have her and our thanks. Prayers and healing energy also greatly appreciated.