***UPDATE 6-4***

Patricia’s journey has been a bit of a roller coaster in the last few days. She was scheduled to be discharged on Saturday which would have been ahead of schedule, however, things have begun to decline. We were disheartened to learn that Patricia has developed a case of pneumonia which has put stress on her already compromised heart. As of right now, she is on antibiotics and lasix for the pneumonia and also medication to help regulate her heartbeat. She is currently in stable condition. Her team of doctors will be able to assess her situation tomorrow and take the next steps in her care. We are asking for prayers to avoid the ICU and give her the strength and perseverance to overcome these challenges. Patricia is very fragile right now physically and mentally and she needs God’s Grace and strength. She has come so far in this journey and we are so proud of her but it’s not over yet.

***UPDATE 5-30***

Patricia’s cancer treatment has been going to plan quite well! Her numbers are looking as great as the doctors could hope! The hospital oncologist said he had never seen a patient smiling and laughing 11 days post transplant as Patricia was! Patricia is one tough lady and her strength is really showing, however, the effects of treatment have still been very hard on her. The doctor anticipates that she will be able to leave the hospital ahead of schedule as long as her white blood cell count is in a safe range and she has enough strength. A month or two post release, she will have biopsies to see whether the transplant was successful. Please keep praying that everything continues successfully!

***UPDATE 5-22**

Patricia completed her stem cell harvesting on May 8th. It was very successful and her doctor gave her an A++ for the amount of cells retrieved and how well she handled it! She was expected to feel bone pain, fatigue, and flu like symptoms but amazingly she felt better than before the harvesting took place. She was able to enjoy a few days at home and a lovely Mother’s Day with her St. Louis based kids and grandkids.

On Wednesday May 17th Patricia went back to the hospital for her long stay. On her first night she was given a very aggressive chemotherapy treatment. Thursday was a rest day and on Friday morning the harvested stem cells were transferred. Now we wait for the chemo and stem cells to do their job. It takes several days for Patricia’s white blood cell count to drop to zero at which time she will endure the negative effects of the chemo. Then the healthy stem cells will gradually bring her white blood cell count back up and ease the negative side effects.

Below is a photo of Patricia and her grandson Henry during a visit last night while she was still feeling alright. Today she is beginning to feel the effects of the chemo. Please pray for her strength and for God to ease her suffering as the treatment process weakens her.

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My name is Patrick O’Neill and I have started this fund on behalf of my mom, Patricia O’Neill, to help her through the financial burden caused by her recent health problems.

Those of you who know Patricia well, know that she has overcome so many turbulent life altering challenges in the last several years. It was devastating to learn that she has recently been given another large hurdle in life. She is a vibrant person and has been a pillar of strength in our family and an example of perseverance to those around her. Patricia was finally living in a stage of peace and contentment and finding joy in her newfound simplicity of life. She had settled into her new living situation while babysitting her grandson and selling perfumes at the mall to make ends meet. Sadly this peaceful stage was short-lived before her life was turned upside down again, this time due to health issues.

We originally discovered that Patricia had serious health issues with the diagnosis of congestive heart failure in the summer of 2022. She reached a point of not being able to manage the heart failure and landed in the hospital with ample testing to figure out why. Patricia was fortunate to eventually see a cardiologist who suspected that a rare disease was a likely possibility and underlying cause to her heart damage. After months of testing and several biopsies, his suspicion was confirmed.

Shortly before the holidays Patricia was officially

diagnosed with the rare and serious blood/bone marrow disease called amyloidosis and multiple myeloma. Amyloidosis is a unique disease closely associated with blood cancers and a complication of multiple myeloma. Amyloidosis is very aggressive and has quickly progressed to stage 3 by attacking Patricia’s bone marrow, heart, lungs, liver, and skin.

Official Diagnoses:

-Light chain (AL) amyloidosis (CMS/HCC) (HCC)

-multiple myeloma

-elevated serum immunoglobulin free light chains

-diastolic dysfunction

-cardiomyopathy, hypertrophic

-acute on chronic diastolic congestive heart failure (CMS/HCC) (HCC)

Patricia’s oncologist started her treatment immediately in an effort to extend her life and improve her quality of life. She has been enduring weekly chemo treatments since December and will soon be entering the next stage of treatment. Currently, Patricia is coping with extreme fatigue, aches, and other chemo-related symptoms in addition to the symptoms of the damage resulting from the disease itself.

Patricia’s next stages of treatment begin soon. On May 5th, Patricia will enter the hospital for a stem cell retrieval. She will be in the hospital for several days to be monitored during this painful procedure and then released to recover at home. On May 16th, she will re-enter the hospital and be treated with aggressive chemotherapy followed by a stem cell transplant. She will be spending several weeks being monitored and cared for in the hospital during this grueling process. Though we are hopeful for a positive outcome, we know that Patricia has a long road ahead. She is very anxious for the pain she will endure in the coming months. With a positive response to treatment, it is expected that Patricia will continue to experience extreme fatigue and weakness for several months following her transplant procedure. Her oncologist anticipates that she will begin to regain strength in the coming fall.

As a result of the disease combined with treatment, Patricia’s symptoms have lead to her inability to babysit or work. Because of this, she has fallen behind on many of her financial responsibilities. These effects have also impacted my sister, Lily’s ability to work at full capacity and provide fully for Patricia. We, Patricia’s kids, have done what we are able to financially keep her afloat in these times but her needs have surpassed what we are able to provide.

Patricia plans to use any donations for basic living expenses, meals, vehicle maintenance, medical bills, and getting back on her feet as she recovers. Patricia and her kids are extremely grateful to anyone who is able to contribute to lighten the burden of her circumstances. Additionally, we are extremely grateful for any prayers and positivity sent to Patricia for her strength and recovery during this challenging time. ♥️