LAST UPDATE: Lisa passed away on May 4, 2024. Thank you for your support. 

UPDATE: Due to various complications in Lisa’s condition, including episodes of losing consciousness and broken vertebrae from the prescribed steroids, some funds donated may be used for multiple medical purposes. 

Hi, we are Mat and Vicky, and we want you to meet Mat's sister, Lisa. She is a former nurse, a mother, and a grandmother. She is smart, fearless, and fun. She loves the St. Louis Cardinals. She can quote her favorite movie, Clue, word-for-word. She laughs often, loves fiercely, and cares deeply.

She also has brain cancer.

After surgery, chemotherapy, and radiation, Lisa has necrosis--dead tissue on her brain. If this necrosis does not clear up, it could eat away her brain. Additionally, the necrosis has devastated her vision. She can't drive, can't read, and can barely manage to do simple tasks, especially in the sunlight. This is a woman who loves gardening and takes pride in her flowers, and she is at a point where she cannot do what she loves. Without treatment, she is at risk of becoming completely blind. She may never be able to work as a nurse again because of the debilitating results of her cancer treatments--treatments that are incredibly costly.

However, there is a treatment for the necrosis: a hyperbaric chamber. Hyperbaric oxygen therapy involves breathing pure oxygen in a pressurized environment, and it is used to treat serious infections. The treatment for Lisa's necrosis would be eight weeks long.

Now, here's the problem: There is no hyperbaric chamber in the city where Lisa lives. The closest one available is in Columbia, MO, which is nearly 100 miles away. This would require her to find lodging in Columbia for eight weeks while she receives treatment. Even with the lodging discounts provided by the American Cancer Society (which she is not even sure she will be able to receive), there is no way she can afford that on her own. Plus, due to her loss of vision, she would require transportation.

That is why we are coming to you, our friends and family. With your donations, you can help Lisa afford to receive this life-changing--and potentially life-saving--treatment. Every dollar puts us one step closer to getting Lisa the necessary eight weeks of lodging and transportation to access the hyperbaric chamber in Columbia. Lisa is not the type of person to ask for help, especially in regard to money. That's why we have chosen to set up this fundraiser for her. She has been a huge support for our family, and we want to return that blessing to her.