Rachel's Fight Against Lymphoma
Donation protected
Life is short and always full of unexpected twists and turns. for those that are unaware, for the last portion of 2018, Rachel had been feeling progressively worse, and had been out of work for multiple months due to a host of medical issues. On November 29, 2018, Rachel went to the ER seemingly dehydrated and with a stomach flu. While going through triage, the nurses also noticed low blood oxygenation, and as a result the decision was made to run a scan of her abdominal cavity. It came as a shock to learn that she had a large mass in her chest and a bunch of fluid around her heart and lungs.
She was transferred to UPMC Shadyside where she’s been receiving the care that she needs. Over the next few weeks leading up to the holidays, we learned that Rachel has what’s referred to as Stage 2 Primary Mediastinal Large B-Cell Lymphoma. This is a rare form of Non-Hodgkins Lymphoma that accounts for around 2% of all Lymphoma cases. She began her first five-day round of chemotherapy while still in the hospital, and over the course of the next few months leading into Spring she will be returning for another five rounds. This has certainly been an eye opening event, as it makes you realize how short life can be. At the same time, Rachel’s doctors have all been amazingly positive about her prognosis and believe that she should be able to work her way through chemo and live a long, healthy life on the other side of her battle. This is absolutely wonderful news, however Rachel’s journey has just started.
As most are aware, the costs of cancer treatment can be exceedingly high, and the stress and burden that it can bring can make it difficult to work. Rachel has been out of work for months already due to medical issues, and her treatment journey is just beginning. Over the coming months, Rachel will be incurring numerous expenses stemming from chemotherapy treatment, hospital admission, home nursing / healthcare, medications, transportation, and more. While she’s got insurance currently through work, there are still a lot of expenses remaining that are unaccounted for that she’ll be needing to deal with. The last thing that Rachel needs during this trying time is looming financial stress, rather she should be focusing all of her energy and commitment on treatment.
Unexpected life events can happen at any time to anyone, and while some are more severe than others, all of them can have lasting effects on a persons life, personally, socially, financially, and otherwise. My hope is to help reduce as many of these stressors and effects as I can for Rachel, so that she can focus on the important challenges she needs to. I want Rachel to be able to kick cancer’s butt and come out the other side strong, without having to worry about drastically changing her life’s dreams and aspirations of starting her own business.
We appreciate everyone’s love and support during this difficult time. Please know that every single donation is very appreciated and will be put to good use ensuring a healthy, happy recovery for Rachel. Life is short, so always remember to never let it pass you by.
She was transferred to UPMC Shadyside where she’s been receiving the care that she needs. Over the next few weeks leading up to the holidays, we learned that Rachel has what’s referred to as Stage 2 Primary Mediastinal Large B-Cell Lymphoma. This is a rare form of Non-Hodgkins Lymphoma that accounts for around 2% of all Lymphoma cases. She began her first five-day round of chemotherapy while still in the hospital, and over the course of the next few months leading into Spring she will be returning for another five rounds. This has certainly been an eye opening event, as it makes you realize how short life can be. At the same time, Rachel’s doctors have all been amazingly positive about her prognosis and believe that she should be able to work her way through chemo and live a long, healthy life on the other side of her battle. This is absolutely wonderful news, however Rachel’s journey has just started.
As most are aware, the costs of cancer treatment can be exceedingly high, and the stress and burden that it can bring can make it difficult to work. Rachel has been out of work for months already due to medical issues, and her treatment journey is just beginning. Over the coming months, Rachel will be incurring numerous expenses stemming from chemotherapy treatment, hospital admission, home nursing / healthcare, medications, transportation, and more. While she’s got insurance currently through work, there are still a lot of expenses remaining that are unaccounted for that she’ll be needing to deal with. The last thing that Rachel needs during this trying time is looming financial stress, rather she should be focusing all of her energy and commitment on treatment.
Unexpected life events can happen at any time to anyone, and while some are more severe than others, all of them can have lasting effects on a persons life, personally, socially, financially, and otherwise. My hope is to help reduce as many of these stressors and effects as I can for Rachel, so that she can focus on the important challenges she needs to. I want Rachel to be able to kick cancer’s butt and come out the other side strong, without having to worry about drastically changing her life’s dreams and aspirations of starting her own business.
We appreciate everyone’s love and support during this difficult time. Please know that every single donation is very appreciated and will be put to good use ensuring a healthy, happy recovery for Rachel. Life is short, so always remember to never let it pass you by.
Organizer and beneficiary
Jareth Tackett
Organizer
Pittsburgh, PA
Rachel Humbrecht
Beneficiary
