Nancy and Dan Deserve A Break

Hi, my name is Shannon Tillett, and I’m asking for help for my aunt and her immediate family. I live in North Carolina and they live in California. I'm trying to help from a distance...

Anyone who knows my Aunt Nancy, (Boudreaux) knows that she is a hoot! She always brings a bag of silly toys to a party… Groucho Marx glasses, glow in the dark vampire teeth, headband bobble thingys for every holiday, party hats, rubber chickens, musical necklaces… I’ve seen it all. She can make you laugh until your stomach hurts!

Nancy is also the most caring, loving, sweet daughter, sister, mom, girlfriend, aunt and friend there ever was. Her family is EVERYTHING to her. She gives and gives without expecting anything in return. For the past 25 years, Nancy has been the conservator for her younger sister, Ellen. Ellen was born blind and is considered savant (mental disability but gifted in a particular way). Ellen plays the piano and can play any song she has heard, never had a lesson, and can’t read music… It is truly amazing to watch her play, and Nancy has always been her biggest fan.

Her older sister, Cheryl (my mom), has Primary Progressive Aphasia and has been in a Memory Care Center in Oregon for the past two years. This has been devastating to Nancy, because her sister had been her best friend and “go to” to laugh, cry, vent anytime, and she is now non-verbal. Nancy hasn’t been able to see her or talk to her for two years because of covid, illness and the physical distance.

Nancy’s partner for over 25 years, Dan (McKeown), has also had a rough go. He was diagnosed with metastatic kidney cancer over 3 years ago and has been undergoing many surgeries, chemo, and radiation. Nancy has been his number one caregiver throughout his treatment.

Unfortunately, my fun-loving, caring auntie is going through the unthinkable. Just 8 weeks ago, she went to the doctor because she was losing weight. She hadn’t changed her diet, hadn’t been working out… she was just losing weight. They ran some tests. A few days later, she had excruciating pain in her back. She went to the ER, they ran more tests, and the results were devastating. She had Stage 4 metastatic pancreatic cancer.

If all of this wasn’t bad enough… this past Friday night, their house caught fire. NO, I’m not making this up! Thankfully, their neighbors were lifesavers! They saw the fire and called 911, then ran to alert Nancy and Dan. Nancy had already been asleep upstairs and Dan was watching TV when the neighbor alerted him that the garage was on fire. Nancy needed help up the steep driveway because she is in such pain and is very weak. It was such a blessing that Ellen was not there because her room was closest to the garage and sustained the most damage.

The house is still standing, thanks to the quick response from the neighbors and first responders, but there is extensive damage. They have lost their two cars, the kitchen, and dining room and have severe smoke and water damage throughout the entire house.

Dan has stepped up and is doing his very best to handle everything that comes with a house fire…securing a rental car, hotel, meals, clothes, etc. He is also continuing to undergo treatment for cancer and care for Nancy at the same time. He is stretched very thin and not sleeping. Nancy’s son, Jason and daughter-in-law, Lisa are also stepping up to help in every way they can.

Nancy was supposed to start chemo on 10/14/22, but changes in her blood pressure medicine caused some issues and she is undergoing more tests. Waiting for answers is so tough.

If you can’t help financially, we are asking for lots of prayers!!

Please keep my sweet family in your thoughts as they navigate these devastating blows that have turned their lives upside down.

Any monetary assistance provided will go to medical, hotel, food, rental car and basic living expenses.

Thank you.

Recent visit: Allan, Jay, Nancy, Dan and me

Nancy, Cheryl & Shannon

Nancy and Ellen

Nancy and Jay

Some of the Fire Damage