On October 10th, 2019, our mother, Paulette Steeves, was diagnosed with Adult T-cell Non-Hodgkin’s Lymphoma. Upon hearing this cancer diagnosis, our friends, family, and members of our community have rallied around us with an abundance of love and support. We couldn’t imagine this journey without all of you, so for that we want to say thank you. The hospital visits, food deliveries, spiritual support, and good company along the way have all been tremendously uplifting and appreciated.

My brother, EJ, and I are so incredibly blessed to be the children of such a strong woman. She’s always selflessly devoted herself to us and we owe all our opportunities and successes to her sacrifices. In her time of need we are doing our best to support her anyway we can. We created this page to provide support for our mom’s medical bills, travel costs, insurance premiums, and the countless other expenses associated with her battle against cancer.

We have included additional details of our mother’s journey below, but I’d like to end this passage with a scripture that has gotten us through some of her toughest days:

“Blessed is the one who perseveres under trial because, having stood the test, that person will receive the crown of life that the Lord has promised to those who love him” James 1:12

 
Paulette’s Story:

From 4 AM workouts, body building competitions, and half marathons, Paulette has always been up for a challenge. We’ve gotten through some of her toughest days by reminding ourselves that this is just another race she’ll have to finish one step at a time. Our mother never backs down from any challenge, so we know she’ll arise triumphant. We ask that you help us to get her across this finish line any way you can.

Since her diagnosis in October, we have visited numerous hospitals across the country, seen countless doctors, and attempted three different types of chemotherapy treatments. While we have seen promising results, we all know a cancer battle doesn’t come without some bumps along the way. Paulette has had to deal with searching for a stem cell transplant donor, delays to her chemotherapy treatments, steep increases in insurance premiums, and the discontinuance of promising clinical trials due to the coronavirus health crisis. Unfortunately, the financial hardships that come with this disease are continuing to increase, especially in light of changes to her employer’s insurance coverage due to COVID-19.

Throughout these past few months, Paulette has continued to be an amazing mother, friend, and inspiration to us all. Despite having to battle this aggressive form of cancer every day, she keeps a smile on her face and reminds us all of the importance of keeping our faith and a positive attitude. She’s been a pillar of stability for us during this challenging time.

We're thankful for any type of support, as anything helps while we continue this journey to being cancer free.