Kim Collis Medical Fund

Last October, our family received some life-changing news.  While on vacation visiting her daughter, Hilary, in Baton Rouge, Kim Collis was diagnosed with a brain tumor, a stage 4 glioblastoma, in her left parietal lobe.  

For the last four months, Kim and her husband, Tony, have been living in Baton Rouge while undergoing initial treatment, including two surgeries to remove the tumor, followed by radiation and chemotherapy.  And while Kim has fought to beat back this tumor, she has still suffered physical setbacks such as seizures, diminished memory and cognition, and loss of mobility in her right arm and leg.  The mobility impacts have been particularly challenging in that she requires a wheelchair to get around.

Kim is all smiles even after her second surgery.

While we were lucky to be able to find specialists in Baton Rouge that would not have been available to Kim at her home in Nampa, ID, moving to Louisiana was not a long-term solution (much to the disappointment of her granddaughter, Adelynn).  By late February, Kim was stable enough to travel to Seattle to meet with specialists at the Ben and Catherine Ivy Center for Brain Tumor Treatment and also at the Alvord Brain Tumor Center at the University of Washington, where a plan for the next phase of her fight was determined.

Kim and Tony taking time off from treatment to be      with their granddaughter. 

 Kim working hard to get back to walking.

Kim will finally be returning to Idaho on March 7th and will be embarking on a new series of treatments, including a bi-weekly infusion of Avastin (a drug designed to cut off blood supply to the tumor), chemo every 6 weeks, and travel to Seattle for MRI’s at a minimum of every other month. Kim is determined to beat this disease and her determination continues to inspire the rest of us to help in any way we can.

We have received so much love and support through this ordeal, and we can't thank you enough.  Often we are asked, "What can we do?"  The love, calls, hugs, meals, beers, prayers and good thoughts have been more than we could have ever hoped for. As her treatment and the logistics that come with it become more complicated, we are opening this page in case anyone would like to help with the various costs associated with Kim’s recovery, including medical expenses, continued travel, and housing for treatment.

Thank you again for all the love you have shown our family. We will continue to lean into this, and we will keep you updated on her progress.