Help local Frontline VA Nurse Battle Brain Cancer

On November 9th, Rebecca Ballinger was diagnosed with a malignant brain tumor called an Ependymoma. She is scheduled to have a craniotomy with attempted gross total resection on December 2, 2020 and will require chemotherapy if it has spread to her spinal fluid. Her situation is further complicated by Multiple Sclerosis, which she has been fighting since 2012. The physical and mental stress of surgery and cancer treatment often causes a disease flare in people with MS.

Rebecca is a loving mother and caring nurse who has reached out to help others on many occasions over the past seven years of her nursing career, and now faces one of the greatest challenges of her life. An ependymoma is an extremely rare brain tumor that must be removed to keep it from spreading to other parts of her brain and spinal column. 

 Having been under treatment for MS during her entire nursing career, Rebecca is no stranger to physical suffering, yet she has not let her disability define nor control her.  She graduated from UNR at the top of her class and was the recipient of the Dean’s Award. She currently works with disabled Veterans and has used her creative skills to promote projects and improvements that enrich the lives of her patients. While it may not be unusual to find such energy and commitment in others throughout the medical field, it is compelling to see them in a person who must daily address not only their patients’ needs, but their own medical  needs as well. 

She will be unable to work for a minimum of 3 months. As she has only been working at her current job for 8 months, she does not qualify for FMLA and has not accrued the sick time needed for her extended absence. Loss of income and the costs associated with cancer treatment will be a challenge. We would like to raise funds so she can focus on her treatment and recovery.

This will be a difficult Christmas for Rebecca as she will be in and out of UC Davis for surgery, rehab, and physical therapy. Please consider supporting her recovery by making a donation. Your investment in her life, however small, will yield a rich return in the lives of others under her care, for many years to come. Check back periodically as we will be posting updates and pictures of her progress. Please re-post or share this link.

Beca is a dear friend and loved by many. She has dedicated her career to helping the community, it is now time for the community to show love and support so she can focus on recovering.

Please help us support her during this time. 

 Margaret Guemann, Rebecca's mother, has been added as the beneficiary to the Go Fund Me account.