Fullfill A Mother's Dying Wish

Our mother Donna, mother of 4,  is currently in Grey's Nun Hospital in Edmonton thanks to a few friends who realized she needed immediate medical attention. Our mother was rushed from the Athabasca hospital to the Greg Nuns hospital in Edmonton on Sept 26th. She was admitted to the Intensive care unit with severe pneumonia which mechanical ventilation may be required. With confusion and delerium she was unable to communicate with healthcare professionals. One of the 4 daughters then received that call that no family member wants to get, family presence was needed in Edmonton to help with medical decisions regarding care. One daughter located in Sault Ste Marie and another from Winnipeg drove the 30+ hrs to Edmonton as the others could not medically travel at this time. Donna underwent extensive testing to pinpoint suspicious densities seen in her xray. The investigations discovered some masses in which they believed may be cancerous. After undergoing a bronchoscopy and liver biopsy the pathology reports returned and confirmed she had a neuroendocrinal tumor with metastisis from her pancreas to her liver and possible present within her lungs. There was treatment available but unfortunately no cure. With treatment her life expectancy was 4 months to 4 years. Donna, our mother, maintained her spirits and demonstrated she was willing to fight by eventually being weened from her high concentration highflow oxygen (optiflow) to eventually on only 1 litre nasal prong. In addition, she was walking around with physio and able to perform some personal care on her own. With positive thoughts and prayers from those who love her and placing pictures of her family all around help provide the encouragement to not give up. On Thursday October 5th it looked as if Donna could be discharged from hospital to the care of her daughters while she awaited an oncology consult; and return to Sault Ste Marie for ongoing treatment. Her only wishes were to be with her family and see her baby Jake.

Jake is an African grey parrot who our mother raised from a baby. Jake is now 14 yrs old and is Donna's baby, companion, and best friend. However, due to red tape, rules and regulations Jake is not allowed to visit his mother in the hospital. This is also one of her dying wishes as her prognosis and life expency has now changed.

On Friday Oct. 6th, our mother became sick again which meant she needed to remain in hospital a little longer. On Oct. 8th we received a call in the morning stating the doctor needed us to come to the hospital asap. On arrival we were told an xray of her abdomen revealed her bowel was perforated and needed surgical intervention. However, after consulting with the surgeon surgical intervention was no longer considered due to the advanced stage of cancer, stating the tumor has most likely penetrated her bowel. Her prognosis now has been changed to palliative with comfort care. Her life expency now has been changed to hrs to days.

Our mothers dying wish is to spend her remaining days with her baby Jake and surrounded by her loved ones in Sault Ste Marie, Ontario. Donna would like the opportunity to be with her 4 daughters, 9 grandchildren, and 8 great grandchildren. Although some family will need to still travel, Sault Ste Marie is home to us all and centrally located to those from out of town.

Our family has reached out to Angels of Flight to help transport our mother home and grant her dying wish. The travel costs are upwards of $33,000 and this is Donna's only way of getting home.

All it takes is 33,000 people to donate only $1, less than the cost of a Timmies coffee to make Donna's dying wish come true.