Support for Cristina

My name is Debbie Parish. Teresa Cooper and I have been friends for over 20 years.  Having worked together at GMAC and Diebold for over 26 years, we have developed a strong and enduring friendship.  We have watched our children deal with life’s challenges, grow and change.  2014 had been a challenging year for Teresa and her family.  In October of 2014, her mother passed away after a difficult battle with cancer.   Before Teresa had a chance to mourn that loss, the family was dealt another terrifying blow.  Throughout the summer, Cristina, Teresa’s 17 year old daughter, had complained on and off about pain in her leg.  Several doctor visits offered no answers.  Finally an MRI was ordered in an attempt to diagnose the issue.  Shockingly it was discovered that Cristina had cancer – Ewing’s Sarcoma.  Ewing sarcoma is a cancerous tumor that grows in the bones or in the tissue around bones (soft tissue)—often the legs, pelvis, ribs, arms or spine. Ewing sarcoma can spread to the lungs, bones and bone marrow.  Chemotherapy treatment was quickly started with plans to destroy the cancer with surgery to follow to remove the affected bone. 

 Fast forward to February 2015 and surgery has been completed and Cristina has been declared cancer-free.  I believe that chemotherapy will continue for a few more months while Cristina continues to recover from the surgery.  Now that things are settling down, it is time to deal with real life.  The fact of the matter is battling cancer is a costly endeavor - a cost which means nothing when it comes to the life of your child.  Between deductibles, co-payments and expenses that are not covered by insurance, the bills are starting to add up.  The purpose of this page is to assist the family in covering these bills and expenses.  Teresa and her family have joined together to provide a strong system of support for Cristina as she has fought this battle.  If you can find it in your heart to assist the family as they move past this challenging time, it would be greatly appreciated.   Thank you in advance for your thoughts and prayers.