Help Mary's Funeral costs

In September of 2024, my mom Mary was diagnosed with Glioblastoma, brain cancer. It is an aggressive form of cancer that quickly multiplies with no cure. This cancer comes with extreme side effects that can impair cognitive and physical functions such as speech impairment, memory loss, muscle weakness, and sometimes complete muscle impairment. My mom is fighting all of these symptoms. She had surgery to remove a large mass, has had 30 radiation treatments, and is still on Chemotherapy.

This will be her third time with cancer and her third time with a different cancer.

In her 40s, she fought and beat ovarian cancer.

In her 60s, she fought and beat breast cancer.

Now in her 70s, she is fighting to beat brain cancer. It’s been a journey, to say the least.

Before my mom ever had cancer, she struggled with having children and decided, along with my dad, that adoption was the path they would go down. They adopted four girls, my three sisters and me. We are all 3 years apart from one another, and our ages range from 35-43. We are all processing and supporting the best way each of us know how. All of my sisters have children. My mom is truly the best Gramma, Grammy (one even calls her Mom).

My parents both faced a lot of challenges in life but also had some really beautiful moments as well. My mom is the type of woman who has always taken care of others. If you know her personally, you know this to be true. She very rarely asks for help and will give everything she has to those she cares about, even to those she doesn’t know. She always sees the positive before the negative and can almost always be found praying for others. She is a woman of faith and has held on to her faith throughout all of the ups and downs life has thrown at her.

In many ways, I believe the Lord has walked with her throughout her entire life, as she has lived a life of selflessness and gratitude. I can say this with my entire body and soul, I can say this and believe it with my entire heart because it is true.

Today, my mom is fighting for her life and so is her family. With the passing of my dad on January 2nd, 2024, I have taken it upon myself to be my mom's full-time caretaker. It’s been an honor and something I would do again and again if it meant my mom felt loved and safe.

My mom and I were meant to be; we were meant to walk and experience this life together. We have taught one another how to love, to survive, and how to live. Soulmates, we are soulmates, and we will carry each other for the rest of our lives.

The time has come for me to bury my pride and reach out for support. I have gone the last 4.5 months on leave and living with my mom as her full-time caretaker in NH. I will be moving my mom back home with me where she will live full-time. I will be heading back to work, which means hiring a full-time nurse as my mom needs 24/7 care. I am choosing not to place my mom in an assisted living home as her wish is to be with her family. After several conversations with family, insurance, state benefits, and my benefits, I have exhausted resources.

Today I am asking for support. Support with medical bills and support with an at-home nurse. I will do whatever it takes to live but not at the expense of my mother’s experience. She deserves the world; she deserves to be surrounded by family and those who love her. She deserves to have aid at home so she is not alone and so she does not have to travel just to be cared for.

I want to leave you all with this, something my mom always said before her inability to speak fully:

We live the life we allow ourselves to live. Live with compassion and an open heart. Believe in something bigger than YOU, and always keep your faith.

My mom is so important to so many. She is my hero, my best friend, my soul, and my heart. We all appreciate all of you more than you will ever know. - Steph