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Help Katherine Fight Cancer

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August 2022 Update:
Katherine received chemotherapy (Adriamycin) aka Red devil two consecutive weeks. However, was unable to receive Tuesdays scheduled chemo due to elevated liver enzymes. They hope to try again next Tuesday. She is in good spirits and hoping those enzymes come down. She is definitely tired and sick of being sick. Her attitude and the class exhibited with this stage four disease is incredible, to say the least! Keep her in your prayers please.

With all the traveling and treatments she has undergone in the last year we are asking for another round of donations. Anything helps and I know that removing the financial strain a bit will help Kat fight without worry about costs.

We would be very grateful for any donations, big or small, to help with our fundraising efforts on Kat’s behalf. Please share this GoFundMe page with anyone you think might be able to support Kat and Tim.

In an effort to not overwhelm Tim and Kat, we have created a Caring Bridge site where updates on her health will be posted. https://www.caringbridge.org/visit/oropallo



Where it began:
Last April, Katherine (Kat) and Tim Oropallo and their children, FinnLee,10, and Gunner, 8, hit the road in a camper van for a much anticipated and well deserved family vacation -- leaving upstate New York to their final destination: Katherine’s parents’ house in Kansas. 

The happy foursome were having the time of their lives sightseeing, camping, singing, playing games, touring national parks, when halfway through their trip, Kat started experiencing excruciating back pain. When they reached Kansas, the pain was unbearable, so Tim took her to the emergency room. 

Because Kat is only 38 years old, she expected to hear that she might have kidney stones or a pulled muscle. Completely taken off guard with the news of test results confirming the doctor’s diagnosis of the life-shattering news of Stage 4 breast cancer, which had spread to her spine, bones, liver and kidneys, she and Tim were devastated. 

Kat and Tim have built an enviable life together over the last 13 years. They are devoted and loving parents to FinnLee and Gunner. Kat, always a creative and hardworking soul, started her own salon business when they moved to upstate New York. Tim is a civilian helicopter pilot for the New York State Police. Last year’s COVID-19 pandemic forced Kat to shut down her business for four months. This resulted in a major financial setback for the family.

With this catastrophic diagnosis, Kat’s only job now will be to fight for her life. Tim will be on leave as he supports his wife in her treatment and tries to help FinnLee and Gunner understand this incomprehensible news, helping them process the pain, sadness and anxiety they are feeling. 

Tim and Kat will be going back and forth between the Vis Clinic in Wichita, Kansas, and the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center in Houston, Texas. Due to the severe and advanced diagnosis, Kat will be undergoing lifesaving therapy, including high-dose Vitamin C infusions and several other treatments specifically geared towards bone cancers, which give Kat a better chance of survival. These treatments are alternatives to the traditional chemotherapy and radiation, but unfortunately are not covered by insurance. 

We are asking for your financial help for Kat to access the treatments she needs and for Tim to support her while she is in treatment. Any donations would not only help with medical expenses, but also cover travel and flight expenses, hotels and car rentals to help her get the most effective and efficient treatment possible.

At this point, the estimated cost for her medical treatment, travel, child care and miscellaneous expenses is $200,000. 

We would be very grateful for any donations, big or small, to help with our fundraising efforts on Kat’s behalf. Please share this GoFundMe page with anyone you think might be able to support Kat and Tim.

In an effort to not overwhelm Tim and Kat, we have created a Caring Bridge site where updates on her health will be posted. https://www.caringbridge.org/visit/oropallo

God bless you!

The Oropallo and Kreidler families





Fundraising team: Kat's Fundraising Team (3)

Elizabeth Daratsos
Organizer
Raised $8,325 from 58 donations
Medford, NJ
Tim Oropallo
Beneficiary
Allison Oropallo
Team member
Raised $9,155 from 65 donations
Gretchen Gottwald
Team member
Raised $653 from 10 donations
This team raised $88,930 from 674 other donations.

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