Monee's Rent While She Recovers

I met Monee in 2013 at Columbia University when she began a temp assignment with my department. She and I clicked immediately due to her sweet and funny personality. We bonded easily over our love for Trader Joe's and our sense of humor just clicked so seamlessly together. When her assignment was over, we stayed in touch but I missed her a lot. Finally, she was hired full-time in 2015 and became my work sister. She has made me laugh so much since she started and I don't know what I would do without her by my side. She is the ultimate team-player at work and a great friend to all.

Monee had been with us full-time at Columbia less than a year when she started developing some odd physical symptoms. One night, she ended up in a New Jersey ER doubled over in pain. Unfortunately, they weren't any help and told her to go see her gynecologist sending her away with some antibiotics. She then tried to get into an appointment with her gynecologist only to hear of a long wait. Since her mother had passed away of Ovarian Cancer, I insisted she go to a Columbia doctor as soon as possible and not wait. Thankfully, a doctor squeezed her in and they took it from there. What was thought to be Ovarian Cancer was actually determined to be stage 4 adenocarcinoma of the small intestine (small bowel cancer) that had spread to her ovaries. She underwent surgery to remove part of her intestine and a complete hysterectomy. She then had to undergo months of chemotherapy once she healed from the surgery. Not once did this woman complain. She took it all like a champ and her faith got her through (see picture!). She has had the amazing support of her friends and family throughout but unfortunately she had to use all of her sick time at work. At first, she attempted to go to work while undergoing chemo treatments but it got too much for her. While recuperating at home, she was unpaid from her job but thankfully her job was secure. She came back to work after a few months hoping for a fresh start. Her sense of humor was intact and I had my work sister back. Things were going well and she was beginning to acclimate back to her role at work but she always mentioned how different she felt mentally. She had also developed neuropathy in her feet and hands as a side effect of the chemo treatments she had underwent. She was trying to look forward to starting fresh when she started to notice some familiar symptoms. Her gut told her to ask her doctor to push up her ct scan originally scheduled for a couple months away. Her intuition was correct and the cancer was still in her body. She now has to have six more rounds (possibly 12) of chemo and another invasive surgery. Since she used up all her sick time, she will be out of work UNPAID for another three months while she recovers from this latest treatment. She is proud and did not like this idea of starting a fundraiser for her but she accepted it in the end. She is worried about paying her rent and this is no way to recover! When someone is sick, the last thing they should have to do is worry about a roof over their head. She is also the mother to a 14 year old girl named Ahron and needs to support both of them. My goal is to raise SIX months rent for her and directly send a check to her building's management company. I know Monee is extremely loved and I don't think this is an unattainable goal. If everyone donates $20, this goal can be met. Let's all help Monee worry about one less thing. Thank you for reading and feel free to share this link on your Facebook walls and Instagram. Let's support our friend!