Help us get Susie to Vegas & her first plane ride

Hi, my name is Kayla & I truly appreciate you taking a moment to read this story about my lovely Aunt Susie. For any of you that know me, you know how important my aunt is to me. In October of 2020 Susie was suddenly diagnosed with advanced colon cancer that we soon found out had also spread to her liver and lungs. At this point she was considered terminally ill and her oncologist told her she could expect a 1-3 year life expectancy with treatments. This news was devastating. While we were all in shock on how this looked for her life the following months were filled with several surgeries, appointments, hospital admissions, ER visits, chemotherapy and very trying times for her and her family.

After enduring several months of chemo to find the one that treated the cancer best it was time for something else as she began to have seizures. The oncologist felt that it could be a result of the chemo and referred her to a new clinical trial at Cleveland Clinic Taussig Cancer Center. At first the trial was going well and we were seeing improvements. She was receiving good CT reports about every 6 weeks which they strictly monitored while she was on the trial. We had finally found some hope in the whole situation until her liver masses grew which disqualified her from participating in the trial any longer. In May of 2023 chemo was stopped until we could get another plan in place.

While Susie was battling her own medical hardships her and her family were also facing financial struggles due to her husband being indefinitely laid off and their hospitalization benefits becoming no longer active. This lead to them having to pay for all of her treatments, medications & medical supplies out of pocket. You can imagine how defeated she felt at this point. At times she wanted to give up but she never did! She persisted and within a month she was able to apply for Medicare to cover her medical needs. Soon after she sorted out her medical coverage we were told that her cancer had spread to her ovaries. Her support system came together to get her through this next challenge she was facing.

At this time she was started on another new chemo regimen which tested her limits even more causing terrible nausea, fatigue, stomach upset and mouth sores. While she continued aggressive treatment her husband was able to find employment which allowed her to focus on her battle with the cancer. It seemed like every time we turned around there was another barrier up for her to face. To this day my aunt fights to live her life to its fullest while we still have her here with us. (October 2023 was her 3 year mark). She’s the strongest person I know and we want to do something awesome for her that she will never forget!

I’ve recently learned that my aunt has never been on a plane! She’s always wanted to see the world but Las Vegas was first on her list. My uncle Tony loved going to Vegas and while he was sick he always said that once he got better we were going to take her there and show her a great time! Now it's time for us to carry out that plan! In efforts to get aunt Susie to Vegas and experience her very first plane ride we are fundraising with the hope to give her the best possible experience for her first big trip!!! This is such an important part in her journey right now and any support is so very appreciated!