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Hello World,
My name is Sophie and I am raising money to help cover the cost of care for my mother, Odile, who is fighting Stage 4 Brain Cancer (Glioblastoma in her ocular lobe) - a terminal diagnosis.
Our journey began on September 7th, when my mom fainted at dinner with one of her friends. She was transported to Mount Sinai West that night and has not returned home since. After a series of Cat Scans and MRI's, we discovered that there was what doctors believed to be lesion in her ocular lobe of her brain. We were told they needed to biopsy it to confirm a diagnosis. At this point, we were hoping it was just an infection from some recent oral surgery.
After two weeks of testing and observation, we were told that it was a tumor but that they could not confirm the exact diagnosis and wanted to operate. Around this time, I began reaching out to Memorial Sloan Kettering (MSK) in the hopes that she could be seen for a second opinion.
At the beginning of October, she was moved to the Upper East Side rehabilitation center to continue to recover. Due to the tumor being on her ocular lobe, she developed major vision issues: blurriness, seeing only one half of what she was looking at and moments of blindness. She also developed severe balance issues, and could only walk with assistance. Additionally, she began to have cognitive issues beyond her first fainting spell (which we came to find out was most likely a seizure).
A few days after leaving Sinai for the rehab center, we had our appointment with MSK. There, we were told they wanted further scans and to have their team review the material that was taken during the biopsy at Sinai. We would be returning in two weeks time with new scans; only at that point could they give a final diagnosis.
Behind the scenes during this ordeal, I came to discover that Odile's Medicare Part B had been cut off because of payment issues. Due to the tumor, Odile had begun to lose the ability to fully comprehend complex situations. Her attention to detail had been slowly dissipating (though we didn’t know it at the time).
I spent the following two months (Sept-Oct 2018) on the phone with Medicare and Social Security, working to get her insurance retroactively reactivated to cover some of the costs of her nearly month-long stay at Sinai and her treatments at MSK. I was finally successful in getting that reestablished.
Additionally, we needed to take out supplemental insurance to cover any gaps. Due to the cancer being an preexisting condition, we had to pick the most expensive plan with only a two-month wait time for coverage for a preexisting condition.
Once we returned to MSK, we were hit with the news that she did in fact have Stage 4 Glioblastoma (in a form that they had never seen), that the tumor was inoperable due to its already deep penetration of the lobe. She has been given between 12 to 18 months to live. This is the hardest news I have ever been given in my life. My mother is my rock. She is my best friend, and has carried me through some of the hardest moments of my life. She means the world to me and to so many others.
That night, October 24th, the day before her 68th birthday, we checked into the MSK ER, as it appeared that she was having more mini seizures and she would need to be admitted. We celebrated her birthday in the observation unit of the MSK urgent care and were treated to cupcakes by the amazing nurses that were on call that day.

Odile proceeded to spend the next month at MSK. Her course of treatment was 6 weeks of radiation and chemo, but her doctors condensed into 3 weeks so she could be treated inpatient at the hospital. This was truly a gift, as she was barely able to walk at this stage and the radiation took a major toll on her body. A week before finishing treatment, she began to lose her hair (which we had hoped wouldn't happen). Once she finished treatment, she returned to the UES rehab to work on her strength and walking, in hopes of regaining her independence once she returns home.
And now I have to come to the part where I must ask all of you for help. Up until September 7th, my mother had been working full time as a nanny and tutor after a 40+ year career as a teacher in the private school system. She was a single mother in NYC, sent me to college and gave me pretty much everything I ever asked for. She hasn’t been able to save as much as she would need to retire early, and with the high cost of living in NYC makes it challenging to save. As a result, we had to let go of her apartment, her home of 15 years and now have more medical bills that we know what to do with. Between the costs of moving, her current medical bills, and those coming down the road, we are in need of assistance. I will be supporting the two of us on my salary alone, while also trying to cover all of the additional bills that we have.
Odile has touched the lives of so many people. She has taught women how to be mothers and raise their children, been a surrogate mother to many of my friends, and gone the extra mile for countless of her friends. Now I need the help to get her through the hardest challenge she will ever have to face.
Every little bit helps, and I appreciate all of your love and support during this difficult time. Donations will be used to pay for medical expenses, and to help Odile transition to her new home in Pennsylvania.
With love and gratitude,
Sophie

My name is Sophie and I am raising money to help cover the cost of care for my mother, Odile, who is fighting Stage 4 Brain Cancer (Glioblastoma in her ocular lobe) - a terminal diagnosis.
Our journey began on September 7th, when my mom fainted at dinner with one of her friends. She was transported to Mount Sinai West that night and has not returned home since. After a series of Cat Scans and MRI's, we discovered that there was what doctors believed to be lesion in her ocular lobe of her brain. We were told they needed to biopsy it to confirm a diagnosis. At this point, we were hoping it was just an infection from some recent oral surgery.
After two weeks of testing and observation, we were told that it was a tumor but that they could not confirm the exact diagnosis and wanted to operate. Around this time, I began reaching out to Memorial Sloan Kettering (MSK) in the hopes that she could be seen for a second opinion.
At the beginning of October, she was moved to the Upper East Side rehabilitation center to continue to recover. Due to the tumor being on her ocular lobe, she developed major vision issues: blurriness, seeing only one half of what she was looking at and moments of blindness. She also developed severe balance issues, and could only walk with assistance. Additionally, she began to have cognitive issues beyond her first fainting spell (which we came to find out was most likely a seizure).
A few days after leaving Sinai for the rehab center, we had our appointment with MSK. There, we were told they wanted further scans and to have their team review the material that was taken during the biopsy at Sinai. We would be returning in two weeks time with new scans; only at that point could they give a final diagnosis.
Behind the scenes during this ordeal, I came to discover that Odile's Medicare Part B had been cut off because of payment issues. Due to the tumor, Odile had begun to lose the ability to fully comprehend complex situations. Her attention to detail had been slowly dissipating (though we didn’t know it at the time).
I spent the following two months (Sept-Oct 2018) on the phone with Medicare and Social Security, working to get her insurance retroactively reactivated to cover some of the costs of her nearly month-long stay at Sinai and her treatments at MSK. I was finally successful in getting that reestablished.
Additionally, we needed to take out supplemental insurance to cover any gaps. Due to the cancer being an preexisting condition, we had to pick the most expensive plan with only a two-month wait time for coverage for a preexisting condition.
Once we returned to MSK, we were hit with the news that she did in fact have Stage 4 Glioblastoma (in a form that they had never seen), that the tumor was inoperable due to its already deep penetration of the lobe. She has been given between 12 to 18 months to live. This is the hardest news I have ever been given in my life. My mother is my rock. She is my best friend, and has carried me through some of the hardest moments of my life. She means the world to me and to so many others.
That night, October 24th, the day before her 68th birthday, we checked into the MSK ER, as it appeared that she was having more mini seizures and she would need to be admitted. We celebrated her birthday in the observation unit of the MSK urgent care and were treated to cupcakes by the amazing nurses that were on call that day.
Odile proceeded to spend the next month at MSK. Her course of treatment was 6 weeks of radiation and chemo, but her doctors condensed into 3 weeks so she could be treated inpatient at the hospital. This was truly a gift, as she was barely able to walk at this stage and the radiation took a major toll on her body. A week before finishing treatment, she began to lose her hair (which we had hoped wouldn't happen). Once she finished treatment, she returned to the UES rehab to work on her strength and walking, in hopes of regaining her independence once she returns home.
And now I have to come to the part where I must ask all of you for help. Up until September 7th, my mother had been working full time as a nanny and tutor after a 40+ year career as a teacher in the private school system. She was a single mother in NYC, sent me to college and gave me pretty much everything I ever asked for. She hasn’t been able to save as much as she would need to retire early, and with the high cost of living in NYC makes it challenging to save. As a result, we had to let go of her apartment, her home of 15 years and now have more medical bills that we know what to do with. Between the costs of moving, her current medical bills, and those coming down the road, we are in need of assistance. I will be supporting the two of us on my salary alone, while also trying to cover all of the additional bills that we have.
Odile has touched the lives of so many people. She has taught women how to be mothers and raise their children, been a surrogate mother to many of my friends, and gone the extra mile for countless of her friends. Now I need the help to get her through the hardest challenge she will ever have to face.
Every little bit helps, and I appreciate all of your love and support during this difficult time. Donations will be used to pay for medical expenses, and to help Odile transition to her new home in Pennsylvania.
With love and gratitude,
Sophie