Mom's Second Battle with Cancer

Introduction:

Good Evening All! My name is Jacquelyn and I am the youngest of four children. It is with a heavy heart as I sit here and type this, that my mom, Nancy, has been diagnosed with Breast Cancer for a second time. My brothers, sister, brother-in-law, sister-in-law, significant others and I have banned together to create this Go Fund Me on her behalf. I want to go ahead and thank everyone who is taking the time to read this and learn about my mom's story.

A little back story...

My mom has always had a passion for sales and loves to talk to anybody. She has a smile that can light up any room and a laugh that is beyond infectious. Naturally, she found a great love for Mary Kay Cosmetics and quickly became a sales consultant. 

In 2007, while she was working towards her Mary Kay Directorship, she was diagnosed with Stage 0, Ductile Carcinoma in situ, in her left breast. Her prognosis was great and they had no doubt she would beat this 100 percent. Surgeons performed a lumpectomy to remove all malignant cells. Following her surgery, she underwent 33 sessions of radiation, as well as hormone therapy. In spite of all of this, she went on to earn her Mary Kay Directorship one month later. 

In 2010, my mom and dad both gave up their jobs and moved from South Carolina to Mississippi to care for her ailing father, sadly he passed away in Fall of 2014. Unfortunately, our mom is no stranger to loss. She lost her Mother when she was only 13 years old to Colon Cancer, as well as her older sister to Breast Cancer at the young age of 32. 

In Fall of 2018, our parents used the last of their savings and seized an opportunity to relocate to Erie, PA, to be closer to my oldest brother, his husband and their youngest grandchild, Colt. After only four short months of moving to Erie and many fun-filled plans to enjoy the up-coming summer months with family, our mom's routine mammogram quickly turned into a nightmare. What we had feared was back. She underwent two painfully invasive biopsies and multiple scans to confirm what the Radiologist suspected. My mom called me after she received the results, Stage II, Ductile Invasive Carcinoma of the left breast. I will never forget the pain and fear in her voice, as we couldn't help but cry together. My mom had been in remission for 11 years and here we are, gearing up to fight again.

Treatment Plan:

On July 9th, 2019, our mom will undergo a bilateral mastectomy and removal of all lymph nodes under her left arm. This surgery will be performed at UPMC Hamot, in Erie, PA by Dr. Kang and Dr. Engle. The removal of all lymph nodes must be done in order to test them for cancer as well. If they come back malignant, this could put her in Stage III. Four months following her first post-op, she will go back in for reconstruction surgery. Throughout this process she will be required to do physical therapy for lymphedema and receive chemo-hormone therapy for years to come.

Why we need your help:

Although my mom does have insurance, due to her medical conditions is unable to work, leaving my dad as their sole provider. Co-payments, out of pocket expenses, etc. are quickly adding up. Within the next year, they are looking at paying in upwards of $60,000 dollars out-of-pocket. My dad will have to take unpaid leave to care for my mom during both surgeries. All of my family has joined together, but it simply isn't enough. My mom has done so much for us kids and for anyone who ever needed help. My mom is strong, courageous and fiercely independent, but she needs your help. All funds raised will go directly to her treatment, medical bills and anything else medical related that may come up during this time. Our parents take care of us our whole lives, now its our time to take care of her. We simply want to take the financial burden off of her plate, so she is able to solely focus on her recovery and once again be a survivor.

From the bottom of our hearts, we sincerely appreciate everyone who takes the time to read this and get to know my mom, my best friend. Any and all donations and welcomed and appreciated, however, even if you are unable to donate, please feel free to share kind words, thoughts and prayers. We will be conducting routine updates throughout this journey. Thank you again and well wishes to all!

With best regards, Team Reba!