
Medical Bills
Donation protected
Hello! My name is Judy Scott and I'm the mother of Sandra Dickey DuBois, who was diagnosed 15 months ago with stage 4 Colorectal cancer, including a mutation that is more aggressive and likely to cause recurrence even when the cancer is removed. Her symptoms were 'masked' by her pregancy with the her second child and no one could have known what was really going on.
Four weeks after her planned C-section she was losing lower body mobility and went to the ER. The work up found that a cancerous tumor had fractured her T-3 vertebrae causing her loss of mobility from the waist down along with masses in her liver, lungs, and the primary rectal tumor. She spent three weeks in the hospital, receiving radiation for the first two weeks to kill the spinal tumor, then started on chemotheray to get everything else.
Next she went to a nursing rehabilitation facility, where she continued relearning to walk. She also had surgery for a temporary colostomy to allow healing of her colon where the primary tumor was eradicated by chemotherapy. Sandra used up her state paid leave but couldn’t return fully to work immediately and because she works for a small business, disability benefits were not available. This was a major change in their finances. After 15 months, the bills for a family of four have added up. Sandra has returned to full time work around her treatment but the gradual return to work as she recovered meant losing over $30,000 in normal wages this past year. With treatment continuing indefinitely, as she hasn’t eliminated the cancer yet, recovering from this financial burden could take years and this doesn’t account for possible complications or the likely need for further surgery to reverse her colostomy or even remove remaining tumors.
The targeted chemotherapy is making a difference. Sandra is in a phase three clinical trial at Fred Hutch for metastatic Colorectal Cancer specific to her mutation. It is giving her hope that she can survive longer than the two years or less that is the average prognosis for stage four colorectal cancer.
Easing the family’s financial stress would take one thing off their plate, as both Sandra and her husband have tried to shoulder much of this journey on their own. Therefore, on her behalf, I am reaching out to you for help, with whatever amount you can or care to give. Thank you for letting me share my daughter's story, for your prayers, and for your assistance.
Organizer and beneficiary

Judy Scott
Organizer
Olympia, WA
Sandra DuBois
Beneficiary