Help Sandy Aalderks with Pancreatic Cancer

Dear friends & family,

When our Mom, Sandy, was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer in June of 2021, as a family we were shocked and scared. As with everything that she does in life, Mom had an attitude of grace and gratitude from the start and has encouraged us to do the same. Determined to beat this cancer, and knowing that God has a plan for her, she has been fighting for her life while keeping her positive attitude and faith.

The last two years have been painful, beautiful, hard, awe inspiring, and in many ways miraculous. Mom was initially diagnosed at stage 2 (a rare, early detection for pancreatic cancer) and was able to have a successful whipple surgery in December of 2021 at Johns Hopkins in Baltimore. This long and complicated surgery removed the tumor on her pancreas, as well as a large portion of her pancreas, small intestine, and colon. We have no doubt that this was a life saving surgery for her. After surgery and through her recovery, she continued with chemo to try and target any lingering cancer cells. Unfortunately, at a routine checkup scan in summer of 2022, they found that the cancer had started growing again in the surgery area. More chemo followed, along with another long bout of radiation mixed with chemo for five weeks out at Johns Hopkins in April of 2023. Toward the end of radiation, she noticed a swollen lymph node in her neck and had it biopsied....it showed positive for pancreatic cancer, indicating that it moved into her lymph system. They now consider her cancer to be metastatic. Thankfully, she was able to get radiation for the tumor in her neck locally, and went immediately back into a chemo regimen soon after. Unfortunately, the most recent scans have shown new areas of possible tumor growth. We are now hoping to get her into a study or a trial for new pancreatic cancer medications- there is promise and hope that one of the experimental drugs out there will be able to help her fight in a new way, rather than the chemo/radiation/waiting rotation.

Throughout her cancer journey, Mom has insisted on staying at work as much as possible. As a speech and language pathologist at a local elementary school, the kids that she helps are part of her purpose. In her first two years of diagnosis, her amazing coworkers donated sick days to her so that she could keep her full insurance and pay, while traveling for her various medical appointments, and for the days that she was too weak and sick to leave the house. For this school year, she decided to go to part time, since she just doesn't have enough energy with her treatments to stay full time. Fortunately, she is able to keep her insurance, but unfortunately she is losing pay by going down to part time, and she has to pay out more for her insurance coverage. Looking down the road at the potential studies, or additional treatments out at Johns Hopkins, we decided that the time had come to put out a fundraiser. Many of the treatments, travel expenses, and time off of work won't be covered by insurance. We are hoping to decrease the financial burden for her a bit so that she can focus on recovery.

Sandy is obsessed with her grandkids and spending time with the rest of her family, hiking in the beautiful Montana wilderness, going to church, creating memories with friends, helping kids with their speech and special needs, and cooking/baking. She is a "Mom" to many more kids than her biological ones, and is a listening ear and warm smile for anyone that needs it. The more the merrier, she loves a crowded dinner table and being able to share food and love. Mom is the kind of woman who is always the first one in line to lend a helping hand to a friend, stranger, or family member. She is uncomfortable asking for help, so we are humbly doing it for her. Any amount that is donated is going to be a wonderful gift to this amazing woman, who is so inspiring to so many people with her strength, resilience, and faith.

Thank you, thank you, thank you. Thank you for your support and love and prayers.

Love,

All of Sandy's Kids