Raylee's Cancer Fight

Hello, my name is Ashley Sheffield. I am fundraising for my mom, Raylee Weiland. Just a few weeks ago, Raylee was diagnosed with Stage 3 Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer. She went to the hospital 3/13/2024 to get a chest x-ray/CT scan done due to chest pain, coughing up blood, shortness of breath and other symptoms that have progressed over the span of a few months. The scans revealed two masses on her lungs: one on the bottom right lung and another between the middle of her right lung and heart. The one mass is creating pressure on her Superior Vena Cava (SVC Syndrome), which has caused issues with drainage and blood clotting to occur.

Thankfully, she knew something wasn't quite right with her health and she finally got health insurance prior to the new year starting. However, she has been waiting months to be seen by a primary care physician, which is what led to the urgent care visit, followed by the emergency room.

She has begun proton therapy, which is once a day 5 days a week. She also had her first chemotherapy treatment last week, which will be once a week. Her port may need to be removed, but the doctors are still working up the best game plan on how they want to handle the blood clots and the port.

We are asking for help during this difficult time to help cover hospital bills, copays, medicine and alleviate the worry of bills being paid and on time. My dad works full time for the two of them and we hope that we can help take away the worry of him missing some days at work to be by my mom's side during this stressful/scary time. My brothers and I are rotating schedules with the help of other friends and family members so that my mom does not have to carry the weight and the news alone each day.

It is difficult to see my beautiful, young, outgoing and lively mother with no energy, scared and stuck in a bed because she has no strength to carry on her normal day to day activities. She has been the best mother to myself and my three brothers our whole lives. She is the most wonderful grandmother to 6 grandkids. We can't imagine a world without her in it.

We ask that you keep her in her prayers as she continues to fight this fight. Thank you for taking the time to read this and we appreciate any good vibes, thoughts and prayers you can send.

6/17/24:

Sorry for not updating in a while. We’ve been processing since our last post. Shortly after Mom finished her chemo/radiation on her lung & we saw the spot on her pelvic bone, we learned that she was now considered stage 4 since the cancer had metastasized to her bone. Flash forward a few weeks and things started to get a little funky with falls, light headedness and fainting. She was rushed to the ER and scans of her brain were performed. We received the news that now the cancer had spread to the brain. After starting steroids and anti-seizure medicine, she was released from the hospital with discussion of stereotactic radiosurgery on her brain. Within a few days, Mom had multiple seizures and returned to the hospital for a few more days. We’ve learned of a tumor on her cervical spine as well. With all this tough news, Mom is still fighting. We ask that you continue praying for her strength throughout all of this and that God watch over her. We’ve updated her goal on her Go Fund Me. Due to the seriousness and the spread of the cancer, my dad has taken leave at work to be by her side throughout this. He is the sole income provider for their house, but she needs someone by her side 24/7 so we feel this is the best decision to make at this time. We appreciate all the prayers, good vibes and donations you can share.