Hi, my name is Alisha Madej, and on behalf of my family and I, we are creating this GoFundMe account for my Aunt Sandra and Uncle Marc Blake.

The following has been on my heart to start this process for over a year; it began when my mom, Deb Madej, started screening to be a kidney donor for my aunt. Unfortunately, my mom was unable to donate her kidney, but thankfully my Uncle Marc was a suitable donor. So on Thursday, March 24th of this year, Marc traveled to UCSF and donated his kidney to a complete stranger on his wife’s behalf. That way, due to Sandra’s current end-stage, Stage 5 kidney failure, and Marc’s donation, she has moved up on the waiting list to become a kidney recipient as part of a donor circle.

The individual who received Uncle Marc’s kidney had been waiting over eight years for a suitable donor, and he was also on dialysis! Uncle Marc actually got to meet his recipient in person the day after his surgery. In the process of trying to save his wife’s life, my Uncle Marc saved another person’s life and changed his and his family’s life for the better! My aunt and uncle have inspired me to make a difference in other people’s lives too, and that’s why I’m asking for your financial help. They have just begun this latest medical battle. They already have accumulated over $23,000 in medical debt, which is only a fraction of the financial burden they have endured constantly for over 30+ years. I am asking you to donate anything you can, no matter how small the amount, and please share Sandra’s go-fund-me page. I’ve also included the specific details of my aunt’s healthcare journey in her own words:

Here is her story...

Many people have asked me about my health issues, so I’ve decided that it’s easier to share the details publicly. As some of you already know, I was diagnosed with an extremely rare oral cancer. I call it my “not so trendy cancer,” Salivary Ductal Carcinoma. What makes it rare is that it’s a slow growing, but very aggressive, ductal cancer that is rarely found in the head or neck. Also, ductal cancer is typically a breast cancer. This particular ductal cancer has a very high mortality rate when found in the head. I thank God that I am a survivor.

I was told that the vast majority of the people who have this cancer are elderly, male smokers (which I am none of these). Also, 69% die within the 1st year, 96% by 5 years, and 98% by the 12th year. Plus, there is very little research information on this type of cancer because it is so rare. I completed my 12th year as a survivor in August of 2009, and I just turned 66 in August of 2021. This is a birthday I never thought I would see, and I was told by my doctors at Stanford, I am now officially “CANCER FREE!”

Now here’s my cancer information in detail…

I’ve had two major surgeries that resulted in a right maxillectomy, just past the midline of the septum.

This includes the loss of all the hard and soft tissues in the upper right side of my mouth and jaw.

As follows:

half of my eye right socket

the floor of the right orbit (eye)

2/3 of the hard and soft pallet

the pharynx

the right cheekbone

over half of the septum

multiple sinuses

the adenoid (pharyngeal tonsil)

the right upper jawbone

the right upper teeth and gums

Many residual problems have been caused by these drastic resections and have increased and continue to change as time passes. Some will also need to be repaired ongoing. As you can imagine, these chronic symptoms and pain, along with my disfigured physical appearance, are a challenge to deal with mentally as well. My self-esteem and stress levels have been greatly affected, and it is my belief that this alone can lead to other health problems. My daily work and home life have both changed drastically, and sometimes I feel like I don’t know myself anymore. I have often dealt with depression, but I try to distract, keep busy and surround myself with the love of my family and friends.

For decades we’ve paid an ever-increasing amount for health insurance that topped out at around $1,500.00 a month for premiums alone (more than our house payment), not to mention deductibles, co-pays, percentages, travel expenses (for treatments not available near me), prescriptions, labs, imaging, maintenance medical procedures and special oral care supplies. I was often told that our insurance doesn’t cover the cost of all of the procedures I’ll need. Apparently, residual damage, chronic pain, and restoring you back to as close as you originally looked isn’t covered because it’s deemed “not medically necessary.” I’m here to tell you that it does matter, and it takes its toll in many other ways, such as the oral appliances I wear to help my appearance and hold the right side of my face up now that that bone structure is gone. Appliances also help me speak, swallow, eat, drink, and breathe better too. They are made by a dental prosthodontist (also not near me). They are very expensive and need to be repaired or replaced as they break, wear out, or as my oral cavity changes. But insurance even limits what or when those expenses are covered. The last appliance I needed cost 9,000.00 dollars.

I’ve been worrying about our finances and in a constant wrestling match with insurance companies for decades too. After my cancer diagnosis and during treatments, for several years in a row, our portion of my healthcare costs topped out at around $25,000.00 per year, and my husband didn’t even have any coverage. I often feel guilty about the cost of my medical care and how hard my husband has had to work to try to provide what I need because I have been too sick to help him. I used to be able to contribute more and work full time, but now I have a lot of “bad” days and no more normal days. We’ve had to let go of our dreams, spend our savings and retirement, use our home equity, and are in debt we’ll never recover from. Because of the huge amount of money we have in the past and continue to spend on my ever-growing healthcare needs, we are constantly trying to make ends meet.

I also feel guilty about the worry and sadness my chronic and poor health has brought into the lives of my husband and those I love the most (but that’s a whole different topic). Some days when I’ve felt particularly guilty, I’ll ask my husband, “Am I really worth the cost of all this?” He always gives me a puzzled look and then says, “Yes.” I hope for my sake that never changes… Don’t get me wrong, he’s no saint, and the stress of it all gets to him sometimes too, but even at 70, he’s loyal, works long 12 hour days, and has reinvented himself time after time and figured out on his own (self-employed), how to keep a roof over our heads for nearly 34 years.

Along with my cancer’s residual issues, I am currently facing the worst of End-Stage 5 kidney failure at 11% GFR (kidney filtration). I also have diastolic heart failure (with a regurgitating mitral valve and compromised aorta). It is consuming my life right now, and paying for it all, dealing with treatments, being sick all the time, and feeling guilty aren’t the only challenges I have. Waiting and hoping for a response that UCSF has found me a donor match is very draining, and worrying about how to keep afloat financially is a constant too. But I thank God that I’m still here to fight every day with my husband by my side. I survived cancer, and I pray I will survive kidney failure, too, and in the end, I feel much better with a transplant. I also pray my heart will survive the transplant surgery, and I won’t have to go on dialysis. Hopefully, this will be my last health challenge… Hah! :)

Despite all of these trials, I really am grateful to be alive… well, almost every day.

I want to thank you for taking time out of your life to read this note. It really means a lot to me.

Much Love,

Thanks, Sandra