Help Support Mackenzie’s Battle with Brain Cancer

Dear Friends, Family & Compassionate Strangers,

Late in October of 2023, our oldest daughter Mackenzie was rushed to the emergency room after having two seizures. After she was given an MRI, it was revealed to us that Mackenzie had a mass on the frontal lobe of her brain. She would need a craniotomy to resect as much of the tumor as possible. This news flipped our world completely upside down, and we still had to wait for the final diagnosis.

After a grueling three weeks, Mackenzie was diagnosed with a Grade II Oligodendroglioma. This type of brain cancer can be manageable but is not curable. Thankfully the surgeon was able to safely remove 75% of the tumor. Unfortunately, the remaining 25% is here to stay.

She will soon be starting a new medication that will target and hopefully halt the mutation of the cancer cells. The oncologist wants to delay chemotherapy and radiation for as long as possible, as she may need these treatments in the future. For now it is a watch and wait scenario. She will be monitored closely by her oncologist, along with many other health care providers.

After an ambulance ride to the Emergency Room, numerous CT scans and MRIs, four days on a Video EEG, a 6-hour craniotomy surgery, two nights in Neuro CCU, two nights in ICU and a total of fourteen days in the hospital, I am happy to say that Mackenzie is back home with us.

Needless to say, this has not been easy on Mackenzie, both physically and emotionally. She has a long road ahead of her, but we are all here to support her in any way possible.

Never in a million years did I think I’d be sitting at my dining room table writing this just days before Christmas, but here we are asking for your support. Not only will your donation alleviate the financial burden placed upon Mackenzie, it will help pave the way for her to reclaim the life that this horrible illness has stolen from her. Every dollar, every act of kindness, will help bring us one step closer to seeing Mackenzie shine again.

Thank you so very much for your kindness and generosity. We truly appreciate it. We all hope you have a Merry Christmas and a happy, healthy New Year.

Love, The Bowen Family