Help with Caroline Mallalieu's Medical Expenses

“You have been assigned this mountain to show others it can be moved.” — Unknown

We got some terrible news last Friday, my sister Caroline has been diagnosed with yet another type of Cancer - three different cancers in the last 22 years….. Ovarian in 1999, Renal in 2012 and now Thymus. I keep thinking that she is the most unlucky person, or maybe the most blessed, as she has been able to beat this twice already. Her strength and endurance through the previous bouts of chemo and operations is an inspiration. She has been left with an auto immune disease from her previous treatment, but cancer does not define her. She lives one day at a time, one step at a time, and let's God handle the rest. She is always smiling and has some of the most loyal and dedicated friends that we are eternally grateful for as Robin and I both do not live in Trinidad.

Unfortunately, she is no longer insurable so all the expenses for her treatment and aftercare, have to be funded privately.

She had an MRI and blood tests done about two weeks ago in Trinidad at her annual checkup - the MRI showed up a 1.2cm growth on her Thymus gland and her doctor in Trinidad recommended a PET scan and suggested it be done e in the US.

Kingsley and Caroline went up to Florida last Wednesday and she had the PET scan done last Friday - she got the results back the same day - growth was identified to be 2cm in size. Her doctor in Trinidad asked her to look into getting with a Thoracic surgeon in Florida. On Saturday she and Kingsley went to the hospital to check out in how to proceed and they admitted her in the Accident and Emergency to run more tests, EKG, blood work and scans. She had a severe headache and they had her on a drip for a couple of hours. She was then discharged and went back to the apartment. She saw a thoracic surgeons assistant that examined her and set her up with an appointment to see the surgeon while at the A&E. She is being treated at the Cleavland Clinic and the specialist that she was assigned is excellent!

On Monday morning Caroline saw the surgeon and he said that he could perform a highly precise, minimally invasive surgical procedure with robotic surgery. He was fully booked up for months but as Thanksgiving is on Thursday and he already had a surgery booked for the morning and his afternoon was free as he was going to see his family. He will do the surgery for Caroline on Wednesday afternoon. He is concerned that the tumour is very close to the heart, but in the best case scenario, she would be in hospital for two days after the surgery and if no complications could travel back to Trinidad a week or so later.

Until they get their hands on the tumor they will not know much about it - a new cancer or a secondary from the rental cancer in 2012.

Any help you can give no matter how small is a Godsend. The current bill that we have to pay in advance is USD$47,000.00 but that can go up depending on her after-treatment, chemo and how much time she will be out of work. The family has pulled together what we can but we are asking for help towards her medical expenses,

Keep praying for her

Also, please do not contact her for the time being as she is in a mess and finds it difficult to communicate on the phone or via text. We will update you as things progress.

Thank you and God Bless