Kate Lax's Brain Cancer Journey #KateStrong

Dear friends and family of Kate, Dave and Evelynn Lax,

This special family needs us to lift them up during a difficult time; a time when many hard decisions have had to be made swiftly. Kate’s medical condition has changed, and we need your help to make all her days on this earth as joyful as possible.

As many of you know, our forever friend Kate was diagnosed with Grade IV brain cancer (Diffuse Midline Glioma – H3K27M mutation) in July 2020. This sudden diagnosis resulted in two emergency brain surgeries, from which Kate made a remarkable recovery. In March 2022, sadly, Kate found out her tumor was growing again, and she was invited to join a compassionate relief trial of a new cancer drug, ONC201, with hopes that it would help her tumor stop growing and shrink.

Throughout all of this, Kate has remained strong and positive, living every day to the fullest. She wants to see her baby girl Ev grow up, as any parent would. Ev is now 3, and Kate has been forever grateful for the past two years with her beautiful daughter. Kate continues to find joy in even the smallest moments and is determined to celebrate her relationships with those she loves.

This past May, Kate started feeling symptoms of her tumor as it drastically grew in her brain stem. Kate was given two options, both of which were hard to hear. She could choose to try radiation and likely succumb to her fate with terminal brain cancer or move forward with an extremely risky brain surgery to ablate and remove the tumor. After many consultations and sleepless nights, Kate decided to fight for more days to live life and create special memories by proceeding with surgery.

Kate continues to be brave and strong even though the outcome of the surgery is not what anyone hoped for. Although the tumor was removed, Kate is paralyzed on the right side of her body, and her left side remains weak. Talking is tough for her, eating is tough for her, and she no longer has the dexterity to use a phone or computer. Kate has to rely on others for all care, including bathing, feeding, transferring from her bed to her wheelchair, getting dressed, and more.

After several weeks of hard work and rehabilitation at Mary Free Bed, Kate’s recovery has started to plateau, and she will be discharged. Kate will need 24-hour care, either in-home or at a facility. These costs are not covered by insurance. Kate's family is desperately trying to plan how they will be able to pay for in-home care to keep her spending her remaining days of life at home surrounded by friends and family.

Despite the temporary reprieve with tumor removal, due to the type of tumor, it is expected to return within a few months and again threaten Kate’s life and remaining functionality. All this is something that none of us are ready to hear, and certainly not a 37-year-old mother and wife.

Many of you have asked over the past few years how you can help. The family continues to ask for your prayers and positive juju. Humbly they were hesitant to ask for financial help. They do not want anyone they love to feel obligated. Through encouragement from friends, they have agreed to a fundraising effort. Let's come together to uplift this financial burden, allowing the focus to be on creating joyful memories.

With our help, Kate can remain in the comfort of her home with loved ones surrounding her. Please help her never miss a moment of her daughter's life by living away from her. Please support this person who has spent her career selflessly raising money for other people like medical students and advances in research. Kate is still that silly, upbeat, positive person we all fell in love with. Now is our time to make a difference in her life! Please consider contributing to Kate's care. Any amount you can give is helpful beyond measure.

All dollars raised will go to Kate's 24-hour care. Any remaining dollars will be used for the continuous care of Ev, who will have to grow up without her momma.

If you want to discuss your support or have questions about giving, please do not hesitate to reach out to Marci Muller at [phone redacted] or [email redacted].