Help Cure Marsha of Bone Marrow Cancer
This is for the women who taught us how to walk, talk, sip manischewitz as you make holiday, and remember to always love to dance.
It has been six months after our mother was first diagnosed with Myelodysplastic Syndrome (MDS) Cancer. Marsha and Cancer just takes our breath away to this day. Originally our Mom was given six months to live. Kinehora. Now at Six months we post a GoFund me, go figure.
If you know Marsha you know her as Gaga, Marsha Sue, Aunt Marsha, AuntBut, everything but Patient Abramson. This woman of Valor, this beautiful neshama (soul) , our mother, so strong and with such an essence of gold and glory that radiates beyond just her children into her grandchildren, nieces and nephews, and into her friendships that have lasted decades.
We never counted months or days before. We never looked at CBCs (complete blood count) or what the breakdowns even meant six months ago. Covid changed everyone’s lives, but we never thought we’d be grateful for covid in our family. Covid saved and changed everything we knew... It saved Moms life, the timing of her getting Covid was everything in Moms story.
It started with her getting Covid at the end of January in 2021, but as she recovered from Covid, her blood numbers dropped and the doctors were puzzled. Her blood numbers continued to drop as she continued to recover, then they decided to look at her Bone Marrow where they quickly found answers, and our family was changed forever. Mom was given a diagnosis and a timeline it was MDS (Myelodysplastic Syndrome), Cancer, Chemo and a Transplant. Mom went from superhero to mortal in a FLASH , it was the HARDEST REALITY BLINK right before our eyes.
Fast forward to today, August 2021, SIX months later. Baruch HaShem, we stand together here, in this moment, as a community, all together, all surrounding our BEAUTIFUL STRONG AMAZING POWERFUL MOTHER. Who raised us three with such strong morals and values, and raised us with family always around, she taught us it does take a village. So, now we call upon the village that surrounded us as we grew into adults, the village that was always there for our Mom as she grew up raising us.
Our Mother has been Matched with a perfect 10/10 match. She will undergo full body radiation, and 3 weeks of strong chemotherapy, as her treatment team fights off her MDS and immune system, so she can take on this new match. A 30 year old man, who is going to give his Bone Marrow, which when our Mother receives it, the nurses come in and sing “Happy Birthday to You!” All because this is a new start for her, a new beginning of a brand new immune system which her body will take on, and restore her and start her brand new immunity…
So after her new immune system from the transplant, she needs to recover for 105 days, in a sterile environment with 24/7 care. Insurance and other funds are covering the costs of the medical treatments, but because of the very challenging difficulties of recovering from the transplant, extra funds are needed for Marsha’s care during that time. Her care will be intense and has its expenses. This is where it takes a village., so this is where YOU , OUR COMMUNITY and VILLAGE CAN HELP SUPPORT Marsha by OUR DONATIONS.
This is HOPE, this is STRENGTH, this is GAGA, this is MOM, this is MARSHA SUE, this is COMMUNITY, this is LOVE, this is CANCER, this is TRANSPLANT, this is BONE MARROW, this is 10/10, this is US, this is YOU, this is FAMILY, this is HOW TO HELP. This is Appreciated. This is hard. This is a journey.
with so much love,
Laura, Jennie, and Simon