MOTHER OF 3 FIGHTING STAGE 4 CANCER

Updated on 8-28-2023 My name is Kayla, I’m starting this fundraiser for someone whom I hold very close to my heart. Amber is 33 years old with 3 children, ages 13, 6, & 2. She was unexpectedly diagnosed with Stage 4 Metastatic Colorectal Cancer in July of 2022. The cancer has invaded her colon, liver, lungs, lymph nodes, and recently.. her peritoneal wall. Upon receiving the diagnosis, she spent several weeks hospitalized and underwent major surgery. When she first started this fight for her life, she was deathly sick. She barely made it through her first round of chemo, her body was so weak. She got down to only 88lbs. The pain has been unbearable. After some time receiving chemo, she went in for her routine infusion & upon arrival, they realized her symptoms had worsened. Because of this they would not administer the chemo. They sent her to the ER to be evaluated, and after a couple hours the Dr informed her that she has Carcinomatosis of her peritoneal wall. A new cancer growth. All that fight and now new cancer, somewhere else; her stomach. A couple of weeks ago she had another scan to see exactly what’s going on in that area and the results again have left us devastated. They told her Friday(5/5) to not take her chemo regimen at home anymore and that her Dr. wanted to discuss some areas of concern. Her oncologist confirmed the new cancer growth in her stomach, and has now changed her treatment to a different type of chemo. Her first round started on Wednesday (5/10). Unfortunately, after getting some blood work done Amber was told all of her blood counts were deathly low. They would not give her chemo. She had to get those numbers up as she was at a huge risk of contracting illnesses with an already weakened immune system. Chemo is the only thing keeping Amber alive right now, so it’s detrimental she receives her treatment. Eventually, her numbers came up just enough to get chemo a few weeks later. Sadly it seems that a new problem arises as soon as she clears the last obstacle. The excessive swelling in Amber’s stomach has been the 1 of main sources of her agonizing pain. She’s been stuck in a shell of what use to house such a vibrant soul. Cancer has taken every ounce of self confidence she has. Now she can barely walk. They have finally brought her in for a paracentesis to drain the fluid build-up. 3.9 liters. Amber has gotten the diagnosis we’ve all been dreading, a word that no one should ever have to hear. Terminal. She has called many medical facilities getting other opinions. She refuses to accept a death sentence without exhausting all options. MD Anderson in Texas is the best hospital for the cancer Amber has. They are optimistic in a plan to combat this cancer and give her more years with her babies!!! They scheduled her appointment for July 31st. The problem is, Amber receives NC Medicaid. Because the hospital is in Texas, they will not accept her insurance from another state. This means she will have to pay out of pocket for the treatment she so desperately needs. Just for the initial visit, the cost is close to $17,000. We are very far from reaching that goal. This is LIFE or DEATH. Her treatment plan as of now is just to keep her as comfortable as possible for the remainder of her life. That is no way to live. MD Anderson is the only place giving us REAL hope. We have to get her there. We are begging for help. Even if you cannot donate, simply sharing her story to help it reach more people could make a huge difference. If everyone donated even just $1, we could get her there!!! This is to give children more time with their mommy. Above all, we ask that everyone please keep praying that she keeps the strength to battle this terrible disease. She is one strong woman and we are so proud of her! There is no way to predict how much time Amber has left. Her babies need their mommy! We want her to focus on getting better and not having to deal with unnecessary stress, like how she’s going to pay her bills or buy her children school supplies and diapers. Most importantly, how she is going to afford her cancer treatment. She is so very strong and has been fighting this cancer with everything she’s got. This disease being so unexpected and severe has taken a huge toll on her, not only physically, but mentally. Through it all, though, she has remained strong for her babies and we are all so proud of her!! If you have any questions about donating, you can message myself, Amber, or her mother Tonya. If you want to donate directly to Amber, her cash app is linked to her Facebook profile. Thank you all for everything you’ve done so far. ❤️  her cash app is : $ambaababy & her Venmo: @Amber-Michelle3121