Modern Medicine Burns Out… but Ash Rises

2/7/2023 - UPDATE: After a hard-fought battle, Ashley Lynn passed away peacefully on January 24th with her beloved partner, Carlos Iturbe, by her side. Her family is planning a private Celebration of Life for Ashley in Orlando. In lieu of flowers, Ashley established the Ashley Lynn Trust to help provide for the needs and future of her cherished children, Spencer and Everett. The donations from this GoFund Me will be utilized per Ashley’s wishes for her children and the Trust.

1/2/2023 - For the last several months, I have kept my personal battle off of social media. I believed it was most important to share the good, the life celebrations, and focus on the amazing things my family has achieved this year. I appreciate every moment spent and will fight to keep these everlasting memories going. I am posting today because I want everyone to know from me what is truly going on and the realities of my story on this path toward healing.

Life in Spring was such a joy. My children, Spencer (8) and Everett (7), both restarted school after the winter break. Spencer had made the competition team at her gymnastics studio. Everett was scoring goals left and right on his recreational soccer team with all his friends. Life was beautiful, and the promise of our bright future fell nothing short of wonderful – what my family had always deserved.

Around the same time, I had begun feeling gradual stomach pain I could not shake. After multiple doctor visitations, tests, and phone calls, I was told I had stage four pancreatic cancer.

Of course, we were in disbelief. Among sleepless research nights and phone calls with doctors, I was found to be an anomaly. Thirty-eight years old with no family history or dietary risks. On top of it all, this particular pancreatic cancer has mutations that were not common to be readily treated. This cancer is greedy, aggressive, and stealthy, showing no signs until it gets caught. By the time physicians had a full diagnosis, it had metastasized outside the pancreas making surgery off the table due to the high risk of failure.

Chemotherapy has been the sole option to my recovery so far on my journey. The first chemo drug option (FOLFIRINOX) started in May 2022 with a two-week rotation and 46-hour chemo treatment regimen including bringing the treatment home with me. Treatment was consistent but did not give significant gains we had hoped for. A quick pivot in late July led to standard of care (traditional) chemo drug option two (Gemcitabine Abraxane). Finally in September, progress. My markers were going down and for just one fleeting moment, my family breathed in a moment of hope as the disease showed to stabilize. Unfortunately, soon after, the cancer had other ideas as it was only a matter of time before it evolved, making option two of chemo virtually ineffective.

Because of my state and limited progression with chemo, I continue to be rejected from multiple hospitals, including some clinical trials for alternate paths forward. Doctors and physicians have told me that they had exhausted what medical science could do with the FDA approved therapies available. Essentially, these doctors have given up. Unfortunately for them (and for the cancer), I am relentless.

Traditional medicine has appeared to reach it limits so I will now be turning to new options. With the hope that if just one doctor is out there that can help, I will take whatever chance is necessary to be in my family’s lives for years to come. Unfortunately, some of these treatments are located far away from my family which means the costs for the treatment and lodging can cost up to $20,000 to $40,000 per month. These are the first options my life partner, Carlos, and my family have seen that may be available. We are sure there could be other alternatives, but we need help in their discovery as soon as possible.

This past year has not been easy, filled with daunting, unknown challenges, and endless tests and treatments, but I will continue to push forward. Now that I am searching for new options, I will need help. I need the right physician and different treatment that will make my future of living not just a hope - but a reality. Please spread the word to anyone that may be able to help, as even one person’s outlook could light the path toward my recovery. If anyone knows of someone that may be able to help, please let me or my family know, and we will be forever grateful. Spread the word to all!

I am the burning embers embedded within an everlasting fire – an Ash that will never fade.

I love you all!

Ashley