Let’s show Marta & her beautiful family some love
Donation protected
Written by Marta’s loving husband Frank:
Imagine having constant stomach pains, discomfort and spiking fevers. You go to the emergency room only to be misdiagnosed not only once but twice.
As the pain, discomfort and fevers continue, you’re finally granted the CT Scan you desperately need. This time, the difference is that you stand your ground and advocate for yourself by refusing to leave without a proper diagnosis of what is going on with your body.
We got our answer. At the age of 41, Marta was diagnosed with colon cancer.
The 17-day hospital stay to surgically remove the 5mm tumour was successful. Still, it would need to be followed up with 12 rounds of chemotherapy to kill off any remaining traces of cancerous lymph nodes and cells. Everything seemed routine until a severe allergic reaction during treatment five would mean more medicine and longer chemo treatments to prevent it from happening again.
Life outside the cancer clinic was difficult, with the quality of life slightly diminishing. Still, there were more good days than bad.
On the surface, no one would even know she was sick; that is how strong she is.
Treatment 12 was the final treatment, and Marta rang that bell with her platoon and close friends cheering her on. Marta won the battle, but we soon discovered the war with cancer was far from over.
The hospital conducted its routine post-treatment blood test and CT Scan, and we thought Marta would be given the green light that she is now officially cancer-free. But when your usually happy and optimistic oncologist steps into the room looking like a ghost, you know something is wrong. The words that came out of his mouth sent a shockwave through our lives; the cancer had metastasized to the liver and was extremely aggressive. Not only did the chemo not work, but the remaining cancer cells in her body seemed to thrive in this usually toxic environment.
Our oncologist was baffled. Someone this young and healthy should not be going through this.
Our oncologist had to collaborate with partners at Sunnybrook and Princess Margaret to develop a new game plan.
We were left in the dark for the next five days, not knowing what the future would hold, but a promising treatment was waiting for us at Sunnybrook.
Going to Sunnybrook meant there was a possibility Marta would qualify to be only 1 of 85 people in Canada to have a pump surgically placed in her body and connected to the liver to begin direct chemo treatment to the infected area. But to qualify, Marta had to undergo four aggressive rounds of chemotherapy to reduce the spread of cancer in the liver. If the chemo did its job, Marta would qualify to have the pump installed.
The momentary sense of hope vanished after three rounds as this new chemo wreaked havoc on her body and mind. Confined to her bed and couch, Marta was a shell of herself. Her quality of life was at an all-time low. Sadly, she did not qualify to have the pump installed as the risks were too high.
The subsequent meeting with Princess Margaret to see if there were any clinical trials to help her did not go well.
Take us to the present day, our oncologist, who refuses to give up on her, has put Marta on a combination of chemo pills and infusion therapy that has, for the time being, seemed to calm the aggressive nature of her cancer while on this new treatment. The now enlarged liver causes Marta constant discomfort and excruciating pain at times. The sheer loss of weight, muscle atrophy, strength and overall endurance make moving around a difficult task. Marta continues to be a prisoner in her own home. Still, we remain hopeful because we are seeing some positive results with this new treatment albeit in the early stages.
When you have two young children, 6 and 3 and a husband living around you, all you want to do is get up and join them. Sadly, this part of life is on pause, and you contemplate if you’ll ever get that time back. When the career you’ve worked so hard to build is halted, and you miss your platoon brothers and sisters, you’re left wondering if you’ll ever return to that life. And I can only imagine how heartbreak it is as a parent to see your daughter suffering from this disease at such a young age.
Sadly, this is the reality of a now 42-year-old otherwise healthy mother of 2 beautiful children who are growing up right before her eyes, and all she can do is watch.
As her husband, I watched Marta courageously battle this disease with hope, even when there was seemingly no hope. I have also watched her put her entire life on pause, which breaks my heart daily. Tears run down my face as I write this, but I remain hopeful. The journey Marta and her family, friends and police family are going through is filled with uncertainty, fear, hope and love.
I cannot begin to tell you how grateful I am to those at The Toronto Police, 43 Division who have made the time to be by Marta’s side throughout her journey. Because of all of you, Marta continues to battle through the difficult treatments and keeps fighting. Thank you.
With so much uncertainty ahead of us, financially and otherwise, this GoFundMe intends to create a sense of security and a little breathing room. Many have asked how they can help, and this is how. I know that times are tough for most people, and many people are just getting by, so there is no obligation to donate.
The time already donated and the emotional support we have received from the people in our lives far outweighs any financial support we could ever receive. Thank you to all who arge willing to give.
Imagine having constant stomach pains, discomfort and spiking fevers. You go to the emergency room only to be misdiagnosed not only once but twice.
As the pain, discomfort and fevers continue, you’re finally granted the CT Scan you desperately need. This time, the difference is that you stand your ground and advocate for yourself by refusing to leave without a proper diagnosis of what is going on with your body.
We got our answer. At the age of 41, Marta was diagnosed with colon cancer.
The 17-day hospital stay to surgically remove the 5mm tumour was successful. Still, it would need to be followed up with 12 rounds of chemotherapy to kill off any remaining traces of cancerous lymph nodes and cells. Everything seemed routine until a severe allergic reaction during treatment five would mean more medicine and longer chemo treatments to prevent it from happening again.
Life outside the cancer clinic was difficult, with the quality of life slightly diminishing. Still, there were more good days than bad.
On the surface, no one would even know she was sick; that is how strong she is.
Treatment 12 was the final treatment, and Marta rang that bell with her platoon and close friends cheering her on. Marta won the battle, but we soon discovered the war with cancer was far from over.
The hospital conducted its routine post-treatment blood test and CT Scan, and we thought Marta would be given the green light that she is now officially cancer-free. But when your usually happy and optimistic oncologist steps into the room looking like a ghost, you know something is wrong. The words that came out of his mouth sent a shockwave through our lives; the cancer had metastasized to the liver and was extremely aggressive. Not only did the chemo not work, but the remaining cancer cells in her body seemed to thrive in this usually toxic environment.
Our oncologist was baffled. Someone this young and healthy should not be going through this.
Our oncologist had to collaborate with partners at Sunnybrook and Princess Margaret to develop a new game plan.
We were left in the dark for the next five days, not knowing what the future would hold, but a promising treatment was waiting for us at Sunnybrook.
Going to Sunnybrook meant there was a possibility Marta would qualify to be only 1 of 85 people in Canada to have a pump surgically placed in her body and connected to the liver to begin direct chemo treatment to the infected area. But to qualify, Marta had to undergo four aggressive rounds of chemotherapy to reduce the spread of cancer in the liver. If the chemo did its job, Marta would qualify to have the pump installed.
The momentary sense of hope vanished after three rounds as this new chemo wreaked havoc on her body and mind. Confined to her bed and couch, Marta was a shell of herself. Her quality of life was at an all-time low. Sadly, she did not qualify to have the pump installed as the risks were too high.
The subsequent meeting with Princess Margaret to see if there were any clinical trials to help her did not go well.
Take us to the present day, our oncologist, who refuses to give up on her, has put Marta on a combination of chemo pills and infusion therapy that has, for the time being, seemed to calm the aggressive nature of her cancer while on this new treatment. The now enlarged liver causes Marta constant discomfort and excruciating pain at times. The sheer loss of weight, muscle atrophy, strength and overall endurance make moving around a difficult task. Marta continues to be a prisoner in her own home. Still, we remain hopeful because we are seeing some positive results with this new treatment albeit in the early stages.
When you have two young children, 6 and 3 and a husband living around you, all you want to do is get up and join them. Sadly, this part of life is on pause, and you contemplate if you’ll ever get that time back. When the career you’ve worked so hard to build is halted, and you miss your platoon brothers and sisters, you’re left wondering if you’ll ever return to that life. And I can only imagine how heartbreak it is as a parent to see your daughter suffering from this disease at such a young age.
Sadly, this is the reality of a now 42-year-old otherwise healthy mother of 2 beautiful children who are growing up right before her eyes, and all she can do is watch.
As her husband, I watched Marta courageously battle this disease with hope, even when there was seemingly no hope. I have also watched her put her entire life on pause, which breaks my heart daily. Tears run down my face as I write this, but I remain hopeful. The journey Marta and her family, friends and police family are going through is filled with uncertainty, fear, hope and love.
I cannot begin to tell you how grateful I am to those at The Toronto Police, 43 Division who have made the time to be by Marta’s side throughout her journey. Because of all of you, Marta continues to battle through the difficult treatments and keeps fighting. Thank you.
With so much uncertainty ahead of us, financially and otherwise, this GoFundMe intends to create a sense of security and a little breathing room. Many have asked how they can help, and this is how. I know that times are tough for most people, and many people are just getting by, so there is no obligation to donate.
The time already donated and the emotional support we have received from the people in our lives far outweighs any financial support we could ever receive. Thank you to all who arge willing to give.
Organizer and beneficiary
Sarah da Silva
Organizer
Whitby, ON
Frank Hoffmann
Beneficiary