This campaign is for my dear friend Merry Mayes Francom who was diagnosed with Stage 3 "triple negative" breast cancer in September 2017, just 5
weeks after receiving a clean mammogram. This type of cancer is not fed by hormones, and she tested negative for all 28 cancer genes.

This cancer is so unique. Just like Merry.

She had phase 1 of chemo, and developed a toxic side effect to phase 2 and had to stop, then a double-mastectomy in March 2018, and
radiation (May-June 2018), and was declared cancer-free in August.

That moment was beautiful, full of gratitude, and victorious! Just like Merry.

Just 3 months later, she had a biopsy on a lump under her arm and it was cancerous. The cancer had spread to her bones, specifically, in
 the tops of her femurs, hips, pelvis, spine, right shoulder, left underarm, and a spot on her skull.

This cancer is persistent. Just like Merry.

The pain is such that she needs a walker or a cane. Because it has metastasized to her bones, they are weak and have resulted in hairline fractures in her hips that cannot be treated. Typically, breast cancer that metastasizes to bone leaves the patient with an 18 to 48 month lifespan. The survival rate beyond 5 years is roughly 20%.  This past week Merry received another blow. She was given 1 to 12 months to live.

Like the cancer that is fighting to be present and survive, so is Merry. Even in the midst of her diminishing physical health, she remains persistent, beautiful, full of gratitude, and she is victorious for continuing to fight.  Some of the many things that make her so unique. If this is her last year on earth, I want nothing more than to make come true, all of those birthday wishes that would have surely been.

Her wishes in her own words:

1)     Seeing the Grand Canyon again
2)     I want to visit my father's grave in North Carolina, and my mother's
         grave in Wisconsin
3)     I want to go to the beach - a real beach, from the ocean, with Jim      
         (my husband) and watch the sunset (or sunrise, depending on  
          which coast we are on)
4)     I want to visit Yellowstone
5)     See the group Boston perform
6)     I want to meet Steve Young (former NFL player)
7)     Make a trip to the Diamond Park in Arkansas
8)     Go to Snake River to spread my brother's ashes as he requested
9)     I want to have a nice dinner in a nice restaurant on the East Coast   
          -- Boston, NY, RI, wherever
10)  I want to meet the President, Clint Eastwood, and Robert Redford. 11)  I want to go to church at Shelter Cove Community Church
          again, with Pastor Seifert presenting the sermon.
12)  Lastly, and most important, I want a family reunion here in Utah. I  want my family to come see me -- all at once. Sheryl (Oregon),  
         Diane (Arizona), Heather, David and kids (San Jose, CA), Kathleen, Octavio and kids (Escalon), Naomi (California), Chris and Jazmine
          (Utah), Lorena, Ana and Christopher (Manteca, CA), and Meagan,
          Noah and family (Modesto, CA).


Merry and her husband Jim have good medical insurance, but have substantial out-of-pocket costs that have been a significant financial burden. This campaign fund is not only to help make those wishes come true, but to relieve some of that financial burden while Merry is no longer working full-time. 

Please help give her the memories to last an eternity if this is her last year of making wishes come true.

Your donations are greatly appreciated. Please share this campaign with at least 10 of your Facebook friends and ask them to share with 10 of their friends to help us reach her goal. Thank you for your love and support of Merry!