Fight Lymphoma Relapse with Flora!

Update - April 30, 2024:

Flora’s Fight Friends,

It’s time for an update! Thank you to all who have given to this fundraiser since the news of Flora’s cancer relapse. Your support has been so uplifting and truly makes a difference. This is a very long read, but hopefully, it will give you a glimpse of Flora’s tenacity and bravery.

Our Flora Jean has been such an inspiration to us all during this relapse. Despite struggling to fight off crippling anxiety and sadness, she has worked hard to keep up with modified schoolwork, drill team practices, church activities, and the full calendar of senior year events. Flora plans a career as a Child Life Specialist and is using her experiences in the hospital as opportunities to grow in her skillset of helping children. She attended a special weekend retreat at Camp YOLO for a much-needed respite with her medically compromised peers and built relationships with professionals whom she aspires to be like one day. She attended Senior Prom with her best friends, she’s preparing for the Dragonettes’ Spring Show, and she is looking forward to NHS Graduation at the end of May. Her bright light and spunky spirit have been so encouraging to watch over the past two months, despite all the trials she has faced and all those to come.

Last year, when Flora fought this cancer for the first time, she experienced many terrible side effects and health scares due to the powerful knockout the chemotherapy was giving to her body. Still, she came out of it stronger than ever. This time around, the side effects and health scares have been more intense, more frightening, and more impactful than we expected or imagined.

Before Flora was able to begin her chemotherapy, she went through a rigorous and fast-paced round of hormone treatments in order to be able to harvest and cryogenically freeze her eggs. The intensity of her chemo regimen will leave her infertile, but, thanks to the wonders of modern science, Flora will be able to live out her dream of being a mama to biological children one day. The cancer that has stolen away her plans for the next year of her life will NOT be able to steal that future joy away from her, too. Take that, cancer!!!

Just a few days after the retrieval procedure on March 16th, Flora went under the knife again for the insertion of her central line on March 19th. This allows the chemotherapy to go straight to her central veins in and around her heart, so it can begin working as fast as possible. Between these two procedures, Flora was experiencing lots of pain and swelling, but the doctors felt it was best to go ahead and begin her first round of chemo. She persevered through some rough days and returned home to Nacogdoches.

After a couple of days at home, Flora became violently ill. A terrifying night of vomiting blood, high fever, and severe pain led to being transported by ambulance from Nacogdoches Medical Center to Texas Children's Hospital in Houston in the early morning hours of March 24th. A chest x-ray and CAT scan discovered a great volume of fluid in her lungs (a double pleural effusion), which explained the intense rib and chest pain, shortness of breath, and the vomiting of blood. They took her into emergency surgery to insert a drain into her right lung to expulse the fluid from her chest cavity. By the time she began waking up from surgery, they had already drained 1.2 liters of fluid. The tube remained in place for over 3 days, and despite being very painful and uncomfortable, allowed her to breathe easier – literally and figuratively. The source of the fluid remained unclear until numerous tests finally showed Ovarian Hyperstimulation Syndrome (OHSS) to be the cause. The aggressive hormone therapy and ovarian stimulation Flora went through to allow for a rapid egg retrieval process had overstimulated her ovaries to the point of massive fluid buildup in her abdominal and chest cavities. We are thankful for the quick action of health professionals in Nacogdoches and Houston that led to this finding, as OHSS can quickly lead to sepsis, shock, and organ failure. About a week after her life-threatening symptoms began, Flora was finally to return home until her next round of chemo.

Flora’s second round of chemo began rather uneventfully on April 9th. However, that night brought a high fever of 102.8* that lasted until the morning, without a known origin, and severe nausea and vomiting. The effects were very frightening and caused great anxiety for Flora. This scary ordeal lasted a couple days until the fever and nausea calmed down. At last, she was able to complete that round of chemo and return home.

Today, April 30th, we received the GREAT news that Flora’s treatment is working! The chemotherapy has been effective and her halfway PET scans came back perfect. Not only is this a blessing in and of itself, but it also means that Flora’s upcoming bone marrow transplant will be an AUTO procedure instead of an ALLO procedure. An AUTO (autologous) transplant uses the patient’s own marrow and stem cells, whereas an ALLO (allogeneic) transplant requires the use of donor marrow and cells. An autologous bone marrow/stem cell transplant carries a lesser risk of life-threatening complications and eliminates the concern of GVHD (Graft Versus Host Disease) that comes with transplanting donor material. Knowing Flora will be able to have an AUTO transplant, which lessens the risk of both acute and long-term issues post-transplant, is a HUGE relief!

Flora’s ANC (absolute neutrophil count), while a bit low, was high enough for her to begin her third round of chemotherapy this afternoon. A bonus blessing to this timing is that her ANC and immune system will be healthy enough later in the month for her to participate in the drill team Spring Show and attend her high school graduation. This is thrilling news!

Throughout these days, Flora has had to be in isolation for periods of time, causing her to miss out on even more of her senior year and separating her from her friends. Yet her spirit is just as sweet and spicy as ever! She tackles each obstacle as it comes and is determined to beat this cancer once and for all. She also shows such great care for other young cancer patients who are facing similar challenges. Just this afternoon, she spent time playing with an 8-year-old boy in the infusion center during art therapy. This child will also be going through a bone marrow transplant this summer. When he and his mother – who does not speak English - were leaving the infusion center, he wanted to know if Flora would be back tomorrow to play with him again. She was sound asleep by then, and Donna told him Flora would miss him because she was about to be admitted upstairs. Before leaving, he said, “My mama wanted me to tell you what a good girl you have.” Flora’s compassion and empathy for others are still in full effect, even when she is fighting her own battles. That’s just who she is.

NOW, here is what YOU can do to help Flora prepare for her upcoming transplant, the 30-day post-op inpatient isolation, the 2-month outpatient isolation in Houston, and the 3-6 months of total and partial isolation at home to follow.

1. PRAY! Join us in praying for the chemotherapy to continue working, for the bone marrow/stem cell transplant procedure to go smoothly and positively change the way her body creates cells, and for the symptoms of all her various treatments to be minimal. Pray for Flora to be able to enjoy the end of her high school career with her dear, lifelong friends. Pray for Donna, Michael, Jackson, and the rest of the Oliver family to find rest, peace, and strength in the coming days and weeks. Pray for all of Flora’s health professionals to have wisdom in making decisions. Pray for joy and hope to prevail!

2. GIVE! The medical bills from Flora’s treatment are overwhelming and they are a frightening challenge to tackle. In addition, the costs of transportation, food and lodging, necessities, and other important aids like mental health care and over-the-counter products weigh large. The ovarian stimulation and egg retrieval/freezing processes were not covered by insurance, and those costs add greatly to the financial strain the Olivers face. One of the biggest, unexpected costs of this go-round is the need for lodging close to TCH for the months following Flora’s transplant and 30-day inpatient isolation. Flora and Donna will need to rent an apartment for at least 2 months this summer to be close to the hospital for blood transfusions every other day, constant monitoring, and other treatment. If you can give to this campaign, every amount of help matters. No donation is too small to make a difference in the rest of Flora’s life. Please give if you can and...

3. SHARE! Please share our fundraiser with everyone you know, share wide and far, so the circle of love for Flora can grow even larger. We want as many people as possible to know Flora's story and pray for her healing!

The Olivers are beyond grateful for the love, care, encouragement, and support they have been shown thus far. Your faithfulness and generosity are giving Flora the best possible treatment. The lymphoma may have come back fighting, but Flora will swing back even harder with all of you in her corner of the ring. THANK YOU for your prayers, gifts, words of encouragement, and – especially – for your care. It means more than you will ever know.

We will post another update in the coming weeks as we learn more about the plan for Flora’s transplant. Until then, let’s keep fighting for Flora.

❤️❤️❤️

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February 27, 2024: The day the Oliver family received the call from Texas Children's Hospital that gave them confirmation of Flora's cancer relapse after one year of remission.

It is unfair news for anyone to receive. Even more so for a flourishing high school senior who is preparing to graduate and head off to college in mere months. In the past year since Flora's last chemotherapy treatment, she has rung the bell, reunited with friends, turned 18 at the beach, started her last year of high school, danced her heart out on- and off-stage, and transformed into a stunning young woman. The remainder of 2023 was a beautiful celebration of Flora being alive and well.

That all changed in the beginning of this year as a terrible itch and sinking feeling crept back in, threatening a return of the lymphoma that she fought so valiantly. On February 8, Flora returned to TCH for her one-year tests. The CAT scan results came back abnormal, which necessitated further testing through a PET Scan on February 14. The PET scan results showed cancerous nodes which were confirmed by a core needle biopsy procedure performed on February 23.

Stage II Hodgkin's Lymphoma with Nodular Sclerosis. Again.

This time, Flora's treatment plan includes 4 rounds of chemotherapy, which will last 12 weeks, followed by a bone marrow stem cell transplant. The transplant will require a month-long stay at TCH in isolation. Treatment will begin next week, the week of March 4.

Everyone who knows Flora Jean Oliver LOVES her. It is impossible to not be completely captured and enchanted by her laughter and smile, her compassionate heart, and her charismatic personality. She absolutely radiates with the light of Christ in all she does. As Flora's fight begins again, it is our responsibility to uplift and support her and her family in every way possible. This includes financial support.

Last year, we raised almost $20,000 through this platform. Now, it is time to garner support from family, friends, acquaintances, and strangers, again.

The goal of this campaign has now been raised to $60,000. The expenses that come along with the chemotherapy alone are monumental, and this time, there are thousands of additional dollars needed to pay for the cost of the stem cell transplant. Our hope and prayer are for this transplant to enable Flora's body to change the way it grows cells and halt the production of cancerous cells. The funds raised will also go toward the costs of medications, therapies, and supplies, as well as transportation costs for the treks to and from Houston from Nacogdoches.

If you cannot give financially to this campaign, please SHARE this fundraiser! We want for as many people as possible to rally around Flora and the Olivers, no matter who they are or where they are from.

More than anything, your prayers are most appreciated. Flora has been carried through this past year and a half by God's grace and your prayers. Please join us in supporting the Oliver family by praying for effective treatment, minimal side effects, supernatural strength, and no. more. cancer. Our God delights in the life and faith of Flora Jean, and we trust that the Spirit is at work on her behalf.

Zephaniah 3:17 proclaims "The Lord, your God, is in your midst, a warrior who gives victory; he will rejoice over you with gladness; he will renew you in his love; he will exult over you with loud singing." We proclaim this same victory, gladness, and love for Flora as she puts her fighting gloves back on and attacks this cancer once more.

Let's join in Flora's Fight!

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Original Campaign, Created January 10, 2023.

Sometimes in life, we come across people who are so beautiful, so loving, and so special that they seem like magic. A unicorn of positivity, kindness, and grace. Flora Jean Oliver is one of those rare humans.

In November 2022, after over a year of fighting mysterious and difficult symptoms, 17-year-old Flora was diagnosed with lymphoma. Her formal diagnosis is Stage II Hodgkin's Lymphoma with Nodular Sclerosis. She is currently being treated at Texas Children's Hospital in Houston, Texas with a vast array of chemotherapies. Her body is responding well to treatment so far, for which we are all so very grateful. Flora is fighting with the bright, spunky spirit we all know and love!

The Oliver family has been strengthened and supported by their wonderful community in amazing ways thus far. The meals, cards, gifts, small fundraisers, and prayers we've offered have lifted their spirits high! They are extremely thankful for all that has been done on their behalf.

However, it is time for us to raise the bar of giving even higher. The financial burden of medical treatments, transportation costs, and supplies are weighing heavily on the Olivers. That weight has been exponentially compounded by Michael's inability to work due to an unexpected rotator cuff injury and surgery over the holidays. This accident has left the family with a lack of funding that is desperately needed.

Therefore, we have created this GoFundMe to collect donations for Flora's medical treatment and costs. Her diagnosis will continue to bring expenses long after she is cured and can "ring the bell," so the funds raised will be used to care for Flora now and in the future.

Please give whatever amount you can, as no gift of generosity is unimportant. Every donation is valuable no matter the size. If you are unable to give, please SHARE this fundraiser in every capacity, so we can draw wide the circle of love for the Olivers.

Every member of the Oliver family is generous with their resources, loves deeply, and is willing to help their neighbors at the drop of a hat. Now it is time for us to return that care and grace tenfold.

John 1:16-18, The Message version, reads:

"We all live off his generous abundance,

gift after gift after gift.

We got the basics from Moses,

and then this exuberant giving and receiving,

This endless knowing and understanding—

all this came through Jesus, the Messiah.

No one has ever seen God,

not so much as a glimpse.

This one-of-a-kind God-Expression,

who exists at the very heart of the Father,

has made him plain as day."

Grace upon grace. May our "exuberant giving and receiving" bring heaven to earth on behalf of God's precious child, Flora Jean Oliver.

Please keep Flora, Michael, Donna, Jackson, and family in your prayers as they continue to travel this difficult journey.