Weeks before her 2022 graduation from St. Paul College with an Associate in Arts degree (with honors) and an acceptance to the University of Minnesota, Molly Moynihan, age 19, was diagnosed with a rare form of cancer called osteosarcoma. Molly has lived in the Prior Lake, Minnesota area for most of her life and has attended Five Hawks Elementary School, Twin Oaks Middle School, and Prior Lake High School, where she spent her senior year as a PSEO student at Saint Paul College. Molly dreams of becoming an elementary school teacher committed to creating a positive classroom environment.

Molly is the self-designated manager of her family and enjoys organizing chores, shopping lists, schedules, and training the family dog Goose. She is fluent in American Sign Language, a voracious bookworm, passionate about social issues and mental health, and devoted to her many pets. She is also our treasured daughter, granddaughter, sister, niece, cousin, and friend.

Her parents are Mike, a maintenance technician with Stuart Co. and Kris, a cook for a college fraternity. Her sisters Maggie and Maddy are recent graduates of Prior Lake High School and Twin Oaks Middle School, respectively.

Osteosarcoma is diagnosed in ~750-1000 individuals each year. However, this form of cancer is most common in children, adolescents, and young adults under the age of 20. About 50% of individuals develop osteosarcoma in a lower leg bone. In Molly’s case, the tumor occurred in the top of her fibula and quickly spread from the bone into the surrounding muscle. The treatment for osteosarcoma is especially brutal, with many sequential rounds of in-patient chemotherapy to shrink the tumor, followed by (in Molly’s case) limb salvage surgery and many additional rounds of post-surgery chemotherapy to prevent metastasis or recurrence.

Although Molly has access to health insurance and extended family support, the unanticipated cost of illness and its aftermath quickly adds up—transportation, parking, meals on the go, lost time from work, personal care, and uncovered medical supplies and treatments. Treating osteosarcoma is often a long process with the ultimate goal of being cancer-free within five years. The recurrence rate of osteosarcoma within five years of initial diagnosis is ~30-50%. Molly’s family is optimistic about a good outcome…and preparing to support Molly over the long haul.

Please help Molly’s family as they anticipate and plan for the financial hardship that often comes with significant illness. #PriorLakeForMolly #MollyVsOsteo