Marla's Hope

For Marla Olson- a mother, a sister, a friend, an adored grandma; a member of the tri-community for many years; a lover, a fighter, and a woman with a lively sense of humor. 


In February we celebrated our mom's 60th birthday, only it wasn't as upbeat as anticipated. She didn't look like her normal self as she was much thinner than usual and most definitely did not feel well. What we all thought was just a common illness turned out to be quite  shocking and equally devastating. Our worlds were turned upside down as she was diagnosed with Stage 4 adenocarcinoma of the left lung. More specifically, it is a non-small cell lung cancer that has spread from the outside of her lung to the whole surrounding pleural cavity causing a pleural effusion (fluid that builds up outside of the lung affecting the functioning of that lung). This diagnosis, unfortunately, took many grueling weeks with multiple visits to doctors, pulmonologists, oncologists, and finally a thoracic surgeon who performed a VATS procedure only to tell us that surgery and radiation were not options for her-- chemotherapy is her only option.

What we realize is that not only is this cancer taking a toll on her body, both physically and emotionally, but it will also significantly impact her financial ability to pay for vital expenses such as medical bills, out of pocket expenses/co-pays for treatment, and living expenses that she will accumulate as she embarks on her treatment journey.

We wholeheartedly appreciate all of you, our family and friends, for your support, and not just financially. You are all the lifeline to her spirits during this very difficult time. It is your love, positivity, kind words, phone calls, text messages, prayers, and hugs that are all the driving force behind her motivation to fight this cancer.