Carol's Fight Against Lung Cancer

I’d like you to meet Carol Gonzalez, a dear friend of mine. Carol and I met on the sidelines of a soccer field, where we watched our 10-year-old girls play soccer together over the last few years. I always felt a special connection to Carol—her kindness, selflessness, down-to-earth nature and strong faith in God were attributes I instantly admired. So when she told me this summer that she was diagnosed with Stage 4 lung cancer, I knew she wasn’t the kind of person who would ask for help.

After all, she’s one of us—a soccer mom. She hurries home from a busy day at work, gets dinner on the table and then hustles her daughter, Jaelynn, to practice or a game. Add to that laundry, grocery shopping, paying bills, helping with homework and more—like a lot of us, she does it all. But did I mention she’s also a single mom? She adopted Jaelynn at 14 months from impoverished Haiti (a decision she says God led her to). And Carol also cares for her widowed 81-year-old mother who has lived with her for the past 20 years. But that’s the thing about Carol. Talking to her, you’d never know any of this because she’s not the type to complain. She does it all gladly with Jesus in her heart.

Carol’s diagnosis is one that could happen to any of us. You, me, your dad, your sister, your best friend…anyone. For Carol, it started November 2017 when she experienced a nagging tickle in her throat and pain in her neck and left shoulder. Lab work and an ultrasound showed nothing of immediate concern, so she was referred to a cardiologist and then later to an orthopedic surgeon for physical therapy. But the pain persisted, and Carol knew something wasn’t right. Finally, in June 2018, after urging her doctor to perform more tests, a CT scan showed fluid around her heart and one of her lungs. Shortly after, Carol was sidelined with news she could hardly believe herself—she had lung adenocarcinoma, a cancer that accounts for 40% of all lung cancers and is found more often in women and people who don’t smoke (just like her). In fact, she learned her cancer was caused by a gene mutation that, on a positive note, can be treated with targeted therapy that will slow the growth of her cancer cells with the possibility of putting her into remission.

Obviously, Carol’s life has been turned upside down. It’s hard to imagine that someone who looks so healthy on the outside could be fighting for their very life. Which is why I’m starting Carol’s Cancer Treatment GoFundMe page—one, because she would never do it herself and, two, because money should be the last thing Carol and her family should be worried about in her time of need.  

Carol’s faith in God’s will is steadfast and inspiring but, being the loving caretaker she is, she has shared with me her concerns for her daughter and mother’s well-being. She wants to ensure they are taken care of, which is something I think we would all want if in her shoes. She is fighting for each and every day she has with them—and, with your help, I have faith that we can make those days just a little easier.  

 
What Will the Money You Donate Be Used For?

• To help pay for Carol’s medical bills, treatments and other healthcare expenses associated with her diagnosis.

• To help Carol continue to care for and support her young daughter and elderly mother.

• To help fund a secret wish that Carol shared with me…to take her daughter to Disneyland Paris in France this spring if she is well enough.

 
More about Carol

• Carol was born and raised in Waukesha, WI.

• She has spent her career helping people, spending 22 years at ProHealth Care as a surgical technician.

• Carol is an active member of Bridge Church in Waukesha, WI. She finds incredible strength in her faith. If you can’t donate monetarily, I ask that you include her in your prayers.

• Carol has a small support network.

• Carol’s daughter, Jaelynn, is a 4th grader at Meadowbrook Elementary School.

 
More about Lung Adenocarcinoma (lungcancerfoundation.org and verywellhealth.com)

• Lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer deaths in women, killing more women each year than breast cancer, uterine cancer, and ovarian cancer combined.

• 1 in 15 people in the U.S. will be diagnosed with lung cancer in their lifetime—1 in 14 men and 1 in 17 women.

• 20% of women who develop lung cancer have never touched a cigarette. 

• It’s estimated that more than 70,000 American women will die of lung cancer in 2018.

• More than the next 3 deadliest cancers combined (colorectal cancer 50,630, pancreatic cancer 44,330, breast cancer 41,400), lung cancer accounts for 25% of all cancer deaths.

• Only 18% of lung cancer cases among women are diagnosed early (localized/stage 1).

 

If you would like to contribute to Carol’s Fight Against Lung Cancer please know that your donation of ANY amount will be valued, appreciated and so very well used. Please feel free to contact me with any questions. Thank you for your prayers and support.

 

Warm regards,

Melissa Arps

 
* A special thanks to Rachael Liska at happyhearthappyhome.com for helping me turn the feelings in my heart into words.