Support Ka’ren Naja in Her Cancer Fight

My best friend, Ka’ren Naja, needs your help. Ka’ren and I have been friends since we were 9 years old and she is one of the great loves of my life. For many, she is a sounding board, a cheerleader, a caregiver.

This included my parents who thought of her like a daughter. She helped them with doctor’s appointments and groceries when my mother was sick, and throughout my dad’s cancer journey. She gave me a place to stay when I visited to see them and so much unconditional love.

More so, when my dad was in the hospital and we were traveling from out of state, she took my mom to be with him. Ka’ren was there to hold the speaker phone for us to speak to my dad and say our goodbyes in case we didn’t make it on time. She was there to hold my mom’s hand and even let my dad spell messages on her belly so she could communicate with the nurses for him.

She was there when my mom and brother agreed to let him go, and when my sister and I called to say we loved him and he didn’t have to wait for us. Ka’ren was at his funeral later, even when she herself was sick. Undying love are the words that come to mind when I think of her.

And now, this great love of mine has cancer, too. She had a rare stage 3 larynx cancer in 2014, squamous cell carcinoma. That cancer has now moved to her left upper lung and 4 lymph nodes, 10 years later. Obviously, her husband, family and my siblings and mom are extremely worried, but hopeful. We must be the hope and love she has always been.

Her treatments include radiation 5 days a week for 35 sessions, 2 chemo drugs throughout the radiation and then followed up with immunotherapy. She was struggling to talk and eat before her treatment started. Her coughing fits due to paralysis of her vocal cord left her with a broken rib. She needs our help now.

Unable to work and exhausted by simple errands, she needs help for medical treatments. If you can help even a little, please consider doing what you can. We, her friends and family will be forever grateful as we hope for successful treatments and more years of joyful love and laughter together.