Dollars for Duncan
Donation protected
:-) Good day to you and thank you for taking a moment to read about our friend, Tracy. Tracy is a daughter, a sister, a friend, an educator, a coach, mentor, and someone's love of a lifetime. She is no different than you and me. She has been through hard times and good times. She has been a victim, fighter, survivor and inspiration to many. She has a smile that is genuine and a laugh that is contagious.
On October 7, 2015 Tracy was diagnosed with Stage 4 Larynx Cancer. Anyone and everyone who knows Tracy describes her as a star athlete, humble win or lose, and never a smoker. And by never a smoker, we mean, not one cigarette has touched those lips. Tracy is 37 years of age. For Tracy, the odds of being struck by lightning this year is one in a million. Actually one in 1,200,000.* That's about how likely it was for Tracy, a non-smoking young athlete, to receive such an abrupt diagnosis. Most people don't walk around in fear of being struck by lightning and that's where Tracy was with the idea of Cancer. As she swished baskets and coached the next generation of athletes, it never crossed her mind that she would get this diagnosis; Larynx Cancer. Stage 4. Something that usually hits smokers over the age of 50,* Tracy is neither.
Often, a few of us have joked about Tracy being "that teacher" off of the movie Freedom Writers* or Dangerous Minds*. The humor, playful as it was, was also the truth. She has done more with her athletes and for her athletes within a 14 year career than some may accomplish in a lifetime. It's not unusual to hear of Tracy taking in a student because they did not have dependable transportation, or every day necessities such as heat, water, or electricity. Often, if not on a daily basis, you will find her giving students rides to school and back home after practices or games. She gains nothing out of these acts of kindness, nor is anyone paying her. These gestures are done out of the kindness of her heart, to be sure that these kids not only show up. But also to remind them, "where there is a will, there is a way."*
Right now Tracy is starting her 6th week of an 8 week streak of continuous and exhausting radiation and chemo treatments. Her treatments are almost 2 hours away from the high school she coaches and teaches at. And amazingly she is still fighting strong and stubborn, showing up daily to coach her girls' practices. She is still dedicated to all their games, home and away. She is still dedicated 100%.
Being the Holiday Season , it seems like a terrible time to start a GoFundMe page. But then again, it seems like a terrible time to be going through the roughest stages of chemo and radiation. Tracy is coming into the weeks that her Doctors warned her, "this is where you will just want to give up." Bless her heart. And it is starting to get rough and tough. So this leads us to you. If you wanted to help in any way big or small, anonymous or named, with a message of encouragement or prayer, please please do. If you could just share this link to anyone and everyone, communities or organizations, please please do. Please join us in reminding Coach Duncan that we are standing behind her and cheering her on 100%.
The above was put together by some of Tracy's University of the Ozarks family. Even the amount to ask for was a tough one for us, because these are not figures any of us have had to calculate into our everyday budgets within a matter of just a couple of months. From all of our research, there is no price cap on medical out of pocket and co-pay. Some people opt out of treatments and try home remedies because the monthly co-pay on prescriptions alone is still up to $1,000. What we do know, Tracy does have a long road in front of her and if there is anything we can do, it is to help lighten the load and remind her daily that she is loved. Thank you so much for any and all kind thoughts, words, prayers, and shares. God Bless You and Yours.
On October 7, 2015 Tracy was diagnosed with Stage 4 Larynx Cancer. Anyone and everyone who knows Tracy describes her as a star athlete, humble win or lose, and never a smoker. And by never a smoker, we mean, not one cigarette has touched those lips. Tracy is 37 years of age. For Tracy, the odds of being struck by lightning this year is one in a million. Actually one in 1,200,000.* That's about how likely it was for Tracy, a non-smoking young athlete, to receive such an abrupt diagnosis. Most people don't walk around in fear of being struck by lightning and that's where Tracy was with the idea of Cancer. As she swished baskets and coached the next generation of athletes, it never crossed her mind that she would get this diagnosis; Larynx Cancer. Stage 4. Something that usually hits smokers over the age of 50,* Tracy is neither.
Often, a few of us have joked about Tracy being "that teacher" off of the movie Freedom Writers* or Dangerous Minds*. The humor, playful as it was, was also the truth. She has done more with her athletes and for her athletes within a 14 year career than some may accomplish in a lifetime. It's not unusual to hear of Tracy taking in a student because they did not have dependable transportation, or every day necessities such as heat, water, or electricity. Often, if not on a daily basis, you will find her giving students rides to school and back home after practices or games. She gains nothing out of these acts of kindness, nor is anyone paying her. These gestures are done out of the kindness of her heart, to be sure that these kids not only show up. But also to remind them, "where there is a will, there is a way."*
Right now Tracy is starting her 6th week of an 8 week streak of continuous and exhausting radiation and chemo treatments. Her treatments are almost 2 hours away from the high school she coaches and teaches at. And amazingly she is still fighting strong and stubborn, showing up daily to coach her girls' practices. She is still dedicated to all their games, home and away. She is still dedicated 100%.
Being the Holiday Season , it seems like a terrible time to start a GoFundMe page. But then again, it seems like a terrible time to be going through the roughest stages of chemo and radiation. Tracy is coming into the weeks that her Doctors warned her, "this is where you will just want to give up." Bless her heart. And it is starting to get rough and tough. So this leads us to you. If you wanted to help in any way big or small, anonymous or named, with a message of encouragement or prayer, please please do. If you could just share this link to anyone and everyone, communities or organizations, please please do. Please join us in reminding Coach Duncan that we are standing behind her and cheering her on 100%.
The above was put together by some of Tracy's University of the Ozarks family. Even the amount to ask for was a tough one for us, because these are not figures any of us have had to calculate into our everyday budgets within a matter of just a couple of months. From all of our research, there is no price cap on medical out of pocket and co-pay. Some people opt out of treatments and try home remedies because the monthly co-pay on prescriptions alone is still up to $1,000. What we do know, Tracy does have a long road in front of her and if there is anything we can do, it is to help lighten the load and remind her daily that she is loved. Thank you so much for any and all kind thoughts, words, prayers, and shares. God Bless You and Yours.
Organizer and beneficiary
Tonya M Bibee
Organizer
West Helena, AR
Tracy Duncan
Beneficiary