Joyce Schellenberg

Hello everyone, my name is Julie Young, a friend of mine, Joyce Schellenberg is going through a rough patch and is fighting for her life. I am asking for anyone who can help her out with her medical, house, bills, medications, and whatever else she needs. If you can’t help with a donation, please pass this information on. Please pray for the healing of my dear friend. Thank you.

Joyce is a single mother of a beautiful daughter Ericka, who she loves with all her heart and was working 2 jobs as well as being a full-time caregiver to her amazing and cherished mother who sadly passed in 2021. Joyce is a paraeducator and until 2022 was also working as a caregiver to young adults with a disability. Shortly after, Joyce found out that she had rectal cancer. Joyce worked two jobs but soon had to leave her job as a caregiver, it was wearing down her body due to the treatments. Finances were becoming a problem and have become worse as her treatments increased. She has also used up all of her allotted sick leave and there are several days she does not earn an income.

The timeline of her overwhelming journey follows:

August 27, 2021 – diagnosed with stage 4 rectal cancer

September 1, 2021- installation of a chest port for chemotherapy and radiation

September 8, 2021, Joyce started chemotherapy weekly requiring her to wear a backpack with a chemotherapy pump (she nicknamed Leach) attached to the port. The treatment lasts for two days pumping powerful chemicals to kill fast-growing cells. Each time Joyce endures these treatments she feels lethargic, nauseous, vertigo, and many other symptoms and often tries to work through the pain until it becomes unbearable.

December 9, 2021, Joyce started radiation every day until January 19, 2023, and then started with the chemotherapy pills.

March 9, 2022, Joyce met with her surgeons to see if the cancer was gone. Doctors told her all that was left was a scar, but they wanted to give her a colostomy bag. Joyce wanted to wait for that a while. Cancer is spreading.

April 7, 2022, doctors discovered a spot on each kidney/Biopsy on kidney

May 23, 2022, surgery on right kidney took 40% stage 2 cancer

July 20, 2022, surgery on left kidney removed 2 spots off - 10% stage 1 cancer

August 26, 2022, MRI

October 21, 2022, Scope

November 11, 2022, Sedated MRI

November 30, 2022, CT scan found a spot on each lung

January 16, 2023, PET scan

February 20, 2023, Biopsy on lungs/rectal cancer

March 15, 2023, started chemo/ had an allergic reaction/new chemo was started

May 15, 2023, PET scan to see if spot are gone. No changes were seen on the PET scan and Joyce will be given stronger chemo and radiation treatments.

As you can imagine, Joyce and her daughter have been on a roller coaster journey of treatment, diagnosis, and disappointment. The bills are mounting and while she does have insurance, it is limited. She is trying to stay strong but is having difficulty with the necessities to keep her going. Will you please help my friend?