Our friend, Liza Aston, of St Augustine, FL is facing a life threatening health crisis and needs our help. She is suffering from an aggressive tumor which has consistently grown and is now an imminent threat. This very rare tumor, called an extra abdominal desmoid  tumor, has only 900 hundred cases diagnosed annually in the U.S.  How life-threatening these tumors are is dependent on their location. Unfortunately, Liza’s tumor is in a vital location and pressing into her carotid artery and facial nerve. This will likely result in a stroke or even death if nothing is found to reduce the tumor size.

All of her past efforts including surgery, 2 rounds of chemotherapy, dietary regimens & anti inflammatory medications have not succeeded in eliminating the threat posed by this disease.  With the high cost of her insurance and astronomical co-pays, she is constantly compromising her options for research and treatment. Currently she is trying to sell her house, run a business, cover medical expenses, and manage her health and the pain. This is overwhelming and she needs some help.

To the unknowing eye who greets Liza in her daily life, she may appear to be fine. That is how Liza greets the world, with a smile and a sunny disposition. But upon closer look, you may see the left side of her neck with a large and scary protruding growth which causes her extreme pain and discomfort. You may see her subtle gesture to reach her hand up to cradle it when it begins to throb. But she choses to project a positive image to protect others, and probably herself, from the severity of the pain and health challenges she is facing.

There are very few sarcoma doctors and even fewer desmoid tumor specialists. We are hoping that, with our help, Liza can expand her search for relief.  At this point,  she has seen doctors on the east coast of the United States only. She’s consulted with physicians and been treated at Johns Hopkins Hospital, Memorial Sloan Kettering, Baptist MD Anderson, Moffitt Cancer Center, Shands, and Mayo Clinic, but with no success. 

Some hope shined down briefly when she was encouraged by her current doctor to apply for a clinical trial at Mayo last month. But after applying for the trial, her participation was ultimately rejected due to the risk of dangerous complications arising from the tumor’s location so close to the carotid artery and facial nerve.

We are not giving up and want to expand her search for doctors and clinics beyond the east coast who are actively researching treatments, clinical trials or alternative treatments for her rare condition.

Please help us to help Liza by donating whatever you can afford to the fund that we have set up to support  the treatment and search for a cure of her life-threatening disease. All funds will go directly towards her medical- related expenses and any travel necessary to connect with the expertise needed to treat her condition. Any funds that exceed her needs will be donated to the Desmoid Tumor Research Foundation (DTRF) to help others in their quest for a  cure.

Thank you.