Help Nick & Heather With Their Cancer Burden

Finally, a way to help Nick & Heather! They are proud and private, but are reluctantly ready for some badly needed support via GoFundMe.

My son Nick Mesrobian and Heather Van Leuven were married in Sept 2016, on the 10th anniversary of their first date. They thrived for years in Rochester, New York, working hard and doing well. Then tragedy struck in fall 2021, when Heather was diagnosed with a deadly form of metastatic breast cancer . After many months of chemotherapies, surgery, radiation, and complications, she went into remission. The remission lasted a year, and horrifically ended with seizures and the discovery of metastasis in her brain. She sailed through brain surgery, but since then has developed metastases in the lining of her brain and spine. Another chapter, and more chemotherapy, has begun. In addition to medical bills, their finances have suffered due to her erratic ability to work. To make matters worse, in October their workplace closed abruptly, leaving them without income or health insurance for weeks (and then their cat died!). Nick is working hard, but one income has been insufficient to erase the debts incurred, despite family help.

In my opinion, these two hardworking 38 year olds do not deserve or need the additional stress of mounting debt. They need to focus on treatment and health.

Many of you have offered support, and here is the opportunity to help via GoFundMe. Thank you thank you for your caring and generosity..

Nick and Heather and I are so very appreciative, but they are reluctant to have this go ‘viral’. They have allowed me to do this, but again, they are still proud and private. Therefore:

(1) Please DO NOT share this on social media.

(2) PLEASE DO SHARE VIA EMAIL OR TEXT with as MANY people as possible in your personal network.

With love and so much appreciation from myself, and Nick and Heather.

Deb Patten