Helping Helen, mother of 3, fighting Breast Cancer
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I am starting this go-fund-me page for my sister Helen Vranas Mullins. Hello, my name is Jim Vranas. Helen is a single mother of three young ladies, an 8th grader named Anastasia and 6th grader twins named Hope and Gianna. She has been with her current employer for 8 1/2 years.
Helen has always had a strong, very steadfast personality. She takes on challenges in stride and continues to persevere. She is the type of person that prioritizes her responsibilities first before her own needs.
Helen has been described simply as amazing by many friends and relatives. She lives in Hoffman Estates, cooks a fresh meal for dinner on most nights, and is known in her neighborhood and at her church as a caring, hard working, responsible woman and mother that somehow can handle it all.
Until now. . .
Helen was diagnosed with Breast Cancer in May 2017. She immediately had a double mastectomy and underwent 3 months of chemo and 2 months of radiation. Those treatments were followed by reconstructive surgery, multiple muscle expanding treatments, and finally plastic surgery.
Just as she was seeing clear skies again, our mother passed away in June 2018 from her own 5-1/2 yr battle with cancer.
In early 2019, the cancer metastasized and had spread to her liver, spine, and multiple ribs. Through a recommendation from a family friend, Helen visited the Mayo Clinic in Minnesota and was accepted as a patient. She immediately started oral chemotherapy treatment, then another, then a trial drug which continued until August 2020.
A couple weeks ago, Monday, September 14, Helens check-up appointment was met with heartbreaking and unbelievable news. The doctor said the cancer has become more aggressive and has mutated. A pet-scan revealed the cancer has now spread further to her sternum, pelvic bone, and upper thighs. It has taken over so much of her bone marrow, her body is struggling to create platelets and white blood cells.
This new diagnosis required Helen to come back for local treatment at Loyola Hospital. Helen began two different IV chemotherapy treatments on Thursday, September 24. This new treatment is a much stronger approach than the oral chemotherapy she was doing. The strength of the treatment is already apparent as Helen spent Friday evening and all of Saturday in bed with my father tending to her needs.
Any gift contribution will be greatly appreciated and will help to alleviate the burden of the thought of medical bills so Helen can concentrate on getting better as quickly as possible!
The majority of the money you gift will be used to pay the continuously accumulating medical bills. For example, every trip to Mayo cost in excess of $500 between the doctor bills, hospital bills, food, fuel, and lodging. A very small portion may be used to cover grocery and other essential household needs once the short term disability runs out. Any amounts over the goal will be used for future medical bills as they come in.
Helen is my baby sister. With our mom gone, she is the woman in my life that has known me the longest. I’ve seen all her ups and unfortunately, caused some of her downs, but through it all she has loved me and I have loved her back. My young nieces need their mother to be healthy. I am powerless to help medically, but like my sister, I will do everything else that I possibly can to help her. I ask you to join me, and help me do exactly that. I only have one sister and as long as she’s in this fight, I WILL BE TOO! I love you Helen!!
How you can help: Please use the link below to donate a gift to Helen. To help get the word out, you can share the link to your Facebook Timeline and any other social media account. Thank you to all for your support.
Helen has always had a strong, very steadfast personality. She takes on challenges in stride and continues to persevere. She is the type of person that prioritizes her responsibilities first before her own needs.
Helen has been described simply as amazing by many friends and relatives. She lives in Hoffman Estates, cooks a fresh meal for dinner on most nights, and is known in her neighborhood and at her church as a caring, hard working, responsible woman and mother that somehow can handle it all.
Until now. . .
Helen was diagnosed with Breast Cancer in May 2017. She immediately had a double mastectomy and underwent 3 months of chemo and 2 months of radiation. Those treatments were followed by reconstructive surgery, multiple muscle expanding treatments, and finally plastic surgery.
Just as she was seeing clear skies again, our mother passed away in June 2018 from her own 5-1/2 yr battle with cancer.
In early 2019, the cancer metastasized and had spread to her liver, spine, and multiple ribs. Through a recommendation from a family friend, Helen visited the Mayo Clinic in Minnesota and was accepted as a patient. She immediately started oral chemotherapy treatment, then another, then a trial drug which continued until August 2020.
A couple weeks ago, Monday, September 14, Helens check-up appointment was met with heartbreaking and unbelievable news. The doctor said the cancer has become more aggressive and has mutated. A pet-scan revealed the cancer has now spread further to her sternum, pelvic bone, and upper thighs. It has taken over so much of her bone marrow, her body is struggling to create platelets and white blood cells.
This new diagnosis required Helen to come back for local treatment at Loyola Hospital. Helen began two different IV chemotherapy treatments on Thursday, September 24. This new treatment is a much stronger approach than the oral chemotherapy she was doing. The strength of the treatment is already apparent as Helen spent Friday evening and all of Saturday in bed with my father tending to her needs.
Any gift contribution will be greatly appreciated and will help to alleviate the burden of the thought of medical bills so Helen can concentrate on getting better as quickly as possible!
The majority of the money you gift will be used to pay the continuously accumulating medical bills. For example, every trip to Mayo cost in excess of $500 between the doctor bills, hospital bills, food, fuel, and lodging. A very small portion may be used to cover grocery and other essential household needs once the short term disability runs out. Any amounts over the goal will be used for future medical bills as they come in.
Helen is my baby sister. With our mom gone, she is the woman in my life that has known me the longest. I’ve seen all her ups and unfortunately, caused some of her downs, but through it all she has loved me and I have loved her back. My young nieces need their mother to be healthy. I am powerless to help medically, but like my sister, I will do everything else that I possibly can to help her. I ask you to join me, and help me do exactly that. I only have one sister and as long as she’s in this fight, I WILL BE TOO! I love you Helen!!
How you can help: Please use the link below to donate a gift to Helen. To help get the word out, you can share the link to your Facebook Timeline and any other social media account. Thank you to all for your support.
Organizer and beneficiary
JIM VRANAS
Organizer
Niles, IL
Helen Mullins
Beneficiary
