This is my best friend, Pauletta.  She has recently been diagnosed with cancer for the second time.  The first time was in 2015 when she was diagnosed with stage 3 breast cancer.  This time, it is stage 4 metestatic carcinoma in her lungs.  It is breast cancer that traveled to her lungs and it is serious.  

The first time she had cancer, she was living in Carlsbad, Ca with the support of local family and friends, primarily,her daughter Danielle.  Upon beating that breast cancer, she left California and moved to Texas to be near her aging mother.   In tow were the last four of the foster children she has adopted.  Their ages are 13, 13, 7 and 3.  She has been a foster parent for the last 27 1/2 years.  She has three of her own and has adopted six children. 

I never remember a time when she did not have a baby, or babies in tow, along with toddlers and young children wherever she went.  She not only took care of her foster children, but participated in helping other foster parents get much needed respite as well (this program is a two way street and a wonderful program).    This woman is wonderful! 

Pauletta has always been generous with her time and love.  She is one of those doers.  She's one of those people who devotes her life, day after day, year after year to helping others.  Her mother was in a very serious automobile accident once and she traveled to Texas to take care of her until she was well enough to take care of herself.  That was a long arduous time for both of them.  It was a serious accident. I remember she once even flew out to California from Washington State to take care of me for a week after I had surgery. 

She takes care of everyone.   She always has.

Pauletta has always worked hard to provide a beautiful home environment for her family.  She is talented, clever and the most giving person you may ever meet.  But, her cancer is serious now.  This time, more serious than she is able to cope with.  She will need others to care for her now and soon. 

Her oldest daughter, Danielle, will be her primary caregiver; however, there is a big problem.  Danielle still lives in Carlsbad,  She is a hair stylist with her own business.  She has a shop and had been building up clientele for a couple of years.  Danielle is not licensed to practice in Texas and it will take quite a bit of effort for that to even be a possibility.  Danielle is living on an extremely tight shoestring budget, hand to mouth.  She will not be able to fly out to take care of her mom.  Neither Pauletta, nor Danielle will be able to pay for all the care Pauletta will need.  Danielle is considering all her options right now.  Her mother is priority one.  

I am asking our community to help this one woman community.  What I mean is, she has taken the children of our communities into her home and loved them, soothed them, taught them, educated them,  stayed up nights crying with them, reconciled them to their parents when possible, adopted them when possible, gave them stability and took all the garbage one takes from parents and social workers (believe it or not) alike...and so much more.  Now she needs us.  We'd all rally behind a first responder (and rightfully so).  Pauletta is a second responder.  She is the one who gets the call the next morning asking if she would please squeeze in just one more child who was taken away from their abusive parent, or pick up the newborn baby who is addicted to meth, heroine, or any number of other drugs.   She always said yes.  I witnessed it firsthand.  I knew it meant she would not get sleep until the drugs were out of the babies system (and Pauletta would be crying often along with the tormented baby because she knew how awful the baby felt and how many more troubles were in store for the baby).  

I always believed that old adage, many hands make light work.  It's true.  So many of us would be most ready and willing to go and help Pauletta, but we are not able.  We can, however, provide a way of help through financial contributions.  If we could all give a little (many hands), Pauletta would be able to cover expenses of the care she will need and Danielle would be able to go out and help her (make light work).  The financial burdens would be lightened and this family who has been giving to our community for years...a lifetime for some, would be able to focus on what may be the final time of this wonderful woman's life.   

They say her cancer is likely incurable, but her faith in God the Father, and the Lord Jesus Christ is bigger than her trust in doctors' words.

Please help.