Laura Harris’ Medical Expenses

Dear friend,
I am writing to you to ask for your help to save our friend Laura Harris’ life from ovarian cancer. Laura is a wife, a mother, a daughter, a friend, and a hero. As I sit here and type this my stomach is turning and my heart is breaking for our friend.
Ovarian cancer ranks fifth in cancer deaths among women, accounting for more deaths than any other cancer of the female reproductive system.
The 5-year relative survival rate is only 45%, but if ovarian cancer is found (AND TREATED) before the cancer has spread outside the ovary, the 5-year relative survival rate is 92%!
Laura is a proud, independent woman and did not want to resort to relying on the kindness of her friends and family. Even her husband, Micah doesn’t know much about her diagnosis let alone her psychological or emotional state. That is through no fault of his own (we all know and love Micah) but just part of how Laura protects those closest to her. However, after endless urging she conceded and gave me her blessing to write this letter (I allowed her no input except fact-checking). She just wants to live to continue to help others, to enjoy the life that she’s built with her husband and to watch her little boy grow up.
We all know Laura. Some of us better than others. She is the first to offer to help and the last to ask for it for herself. She never hesitates to come to the rescue, often to her own detriment. Now it’s our turn to help her! It’s our turn to give. Laura is in need of medical care. She was diagnosed with ovarian cancer secondary to endometriosis in August 2017. No biopsy or staging was done due to cost. The conservative estimate for a cash patient in the hospital to undergo a total hysterectomy (which is the life-saving treatment recommended by her physician) is $10,600. Anesthesia $1,000. Surgeon $1,800. Unknown costs will include pre-operative testing and blood work, pathology and post-operative testing and follow-up visits. My aim is to start a “friend-raising” (we are not raising funds, we are saving our friend) through GoFundMe with 100% (minus the bite from GoFundMe) of the $30,000 goal going to Laura’s medical care. Please help me to get this letter and the information in it to the people that we know who can and will help. Let us also respect the Harris family and their privacy, especially Laura’s by not posting this or making it more public than it has to be.
Thank you,

Shana Lane, RN/friend/one of Laura’s biggest fans
5/10/18 1:03pm Today I received the following text from Laura “This is really hard for me. Accepting and admitting that I need help. I have never asked for help. I’m the one that gives help. I feel so defeated by this. It’s not pride or ego that’s holding me back. It’s just that I’ve ALWAYS stood on my own two feet. I’ve never been in this situation. My health has never been an issue. I guess I was thinking it couldn’t or wouldn’t happen to me. It’s very surreal when you’re told that you have an issue that can potentially be the end of your life. It’s also the most helpless feeling when there’s a solution and money is standing in the way of wellness. I am going to try one more thing to take care of this on my own. If that doesn’t work, we can go ahead with the fundraiser. I will let you know. Thank you for caring about me.”