Mia Kantas - A Friend To Us All

     This GoFundMe page is being established to help a friend in need who has helped us all when we were ever in need and has helped us all even when we weren’t.   Mia Kantas and her family have been an example of grace, kindness and were always welcoming to all they knew and all they didn’t know.   They opened their hearts and their home to all of their friends and friends of their friends.   I personally was welcomed to stay at their home dozens of times with never a concern ever raised.  Recently our dear Joan (Mia’s mother) passed away of complications of a stroke.  Days later, Mia was diagnosed with Stage 3b cervical cancer and is now not able to work while undergoing chemotherapy.   She has been tasked with handling the family finances, mortgage payments and health care costs.  So friends of the Kantas family, if you have ever: been to, partied at, ate, drank, slept, made out, scored, hot tubbed, played pool, brawled, hung out while hungover etc. at the Kantas house both before and after Joan went to work on the night shift, would you please seriously consider donating some money.   We all know Mia would never ask herself and that is why I am asking on her behalf.    Love,   Mike Rust

 Below is Mia's specific and current situation in her own words:

      I thought I should share that I was my mom's in home care giver and the plan had been for me to find a job as soon as she passed and remain in our family home while taking on the home owner responsibilities. Within days of my mom's passing, I started hemorrhaging, and was getter weaker with labored breathing and was increasing as I lost more blood.  I didn’t know if it was the stress of losing my second parent, pre-menopause, or something worse.  As it turned out it was something worse. I was diagnosed with stage 3B Cervical Cancer (it reached my lymph nodes), Pulmonary Embolism, and severe anemia (requiring a few blood transfusions and iron infusions).

    I was suddenly fighting for my life and I was not prepared!  I am a single parent to my 12 year son, I had to be strong for him, when I was so physically weak. In order to survive I had to endure 7 months of intense medical treatments from 3 oncologists who hit my cancer hard and fast with radiation 5 days a week including 1 day of Radiation-chemo combo for 7 weeks.  I then had 5 surgeries in 5 weeks of Gyn Interstitial High Dose Radiation Brachytherapy.  We had a few serious scares, and just before my last HDR, I taped 2 post it notes to the back of my thigh to Dr. Sorum saying this is my last HDR and my life was in his hands so I said: “MAKE THE KILL SHOT!” He must have because I was rewarded with beautiful PET/CT Scan that showed no signs of cancer! But was assigned 12 weeks of chemotherapy (to kill any remaining cancer cells that could be lingering and to protect me from a reaccurance).  This comes with a unique set of side effects: Chemo brain, peripherial neuropathy, and the overall sickness (I have nothing to compare it to).  I will never take feeling good for granted again!

     I got the notice of default on our family home when I had 4 weeks of chemo left. “Do I leave chemo to get a job and put my health at greater risk or do I swallow my pride and share my struggles and expose how vulnerable I am and ask for help?” Time was ticking and my options were about to disappear when Mike Rust, whom I have known for about 35 years, contacts me and eventually I share my situation. This wonderful, caring, hilarious human being did not hesitate to make me feel better about my crisis and offer to help. That in itself, lifted a huge weight off of my shoulders.  When someone shows you that there is hope, amazing things can happen!❤