Help Kyleigh Fight Ovarian Cancer - She Needs You

Hi everyone - it's Mattie, Kyleigh's little sister.

This is not normal for me. I have always been one to never ask for help. However, this isn't about me. This about my big sister Kyleigh Newman.

Kyleigh is 28 years old and lives in Grand Rapids, MI. She is a Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) nurse. Her line of work means that she sees a great deal of heartache and families struggling to maintain hope in their lives. She works with babies that are premature or born with some sort of life threatening issue.

They wouldn't let me post it vertically! But here she is.

Every aspect of her job is about giving. Earlier this year, she got out of a mentally abusive relationship. This ex took advantage of her kindness and left her with not only mountains of debt (over $30,000 from joint house, appliance and credit card commitments), but also the results of a year of mental abuse. Kyleigh made her way through the healing process with the help of her emotional support animal Kiki the King Charles Cavalier Spaniel. Kiki went everywhere Kyleigh did. Kyleigh has an obsession with her Jeep (named Stitch, see Kyleigh's Stitch Jeep Instagram) and Kiki was her ride or die.

One day after a long shift in the NICU, Kyleigh was heading home and noticed a dark spot on the side of the road. Seemed like nothing. However, it turns out Kiki had gotten out and was subsequently hit by a car. Kyleigh’s bright spot after her exit from her previous relationship was now snuffed out in a freak accident. I have tried my best to support Kyleigh through all of this through emotional and occasional financial gifts, but with her immense financial debt and emotional loss, it has been a difficult year for the whole family.

Fast forward to earlier in December 2021. Kyleigh goes to the doctor for some abnormal abdominal pain. Being a nurse, she immediately scheduled appointments and bloodwork. Kyleigh's love for babies is something that goes outside her profession. She has a tremendous desire to be a mother. After visiting the doctor, she was diagnosed with ovarian cancer. She has to have one of her ovaries completely removed. She is scheduled for surgery on January 11th, 2022. This also means she may have to take extensive time off of work, putting her financial situation into an even more trying phase. There is a large possibility that other issues will be discovered during this surgery as well.

With her tremendous debt from her abusive relationship and now the inevitable medical bills, I am writing to see if there is any support that can be given to her. She is a hero. I'll say it again, Kyleigh is a hero. Every day she goes into work and takes care of babies who need the most difficult of care. All through Covid, Kyleigh was there, at the front line, protecting the most vulernably of us all. Now it is time for us to help those who have given so much. I am hoping this can provide a jumpstart for Kyleigh to reign in her financial struggles, but we have to start with the even harder part, battling cancer and the tremendous medical costs associated with it.

According to recent research done, the average cost of care for women with ovarian cancer in the first year after surgery is approximately $100,000 (https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5709160/). The patient should only bear approximately 3% of this ($3,000) as out of pocket, but often times, there are additional costs that come with taking time off work. This out of pocket expense is not something Kyleigh can manage. For some of us, this would be manageable, but not for someone who has been financially dragged through the mud like Kyleigh has been over the past two years. I am looking to all of you - friends, family, anyone willing to send any help to Kyleigh.

Kyleigh needs our support now. It can be hard to ask for help - Kyleigh has had to ask for a lot in the recent year, so I wanted to make this gesture for her to see if we can get the support. I definitely don't expect to meet the $10,000 goal, but I wanted to set high so that we always reach for the stars. If you can't give money, but have something else to give, don't hesitate to reach out to me directly. Remember that gofundme takes a portion of the donations, so please be mindful of that in the process as well. Let's all help Kyleigh get on here feet in 2022 and not lose hope.

For those of you who would choose to judge us for asking for help, or worse, judge my sister for her situation, shame on you. Move on. This is a place of healing and kindness. Nothing else.

Thank you to those of you who have made it through this read - it was a roller coaster to write, and I am sure, even more turbulent to read. Anything helps. Give and give thanks for those around you who are healthy - I know I certainly am moving into 2022.

As she stood by my side, earnestly supporting me as my Maid of Honor on my wedding day, I am looking to continuing doing the same for her.

Much love and hope,

Mattie Newman (Helms), Patrick Helms, Daisy, and Gizmo

Every action of support contributes to a better world.