Rylie’s Cancer & Fertility Treatment Assistance

Meet my best friend Rylie Wilson. In the spring of 2023, plans for her 25th birthday and the summer ahead were replaced by medical appointments, tests, procedures, surgery, and chemotherapy. Rylie is a young, sweet, kind, fun, positive, generous soul, loved by all who know or has meet her. She is a special needs Pre-K teacher to 3–5-year-olds with autism. She gives her heart to these babies as she does to her friends and family. On a teacher’s salary, and continuing her education to obtain a master’s degree in Special Needs Education, it’s difficult to keep up with all the bills that have come pouring in. The goal is to assist with missed wages and expenses not covered by insurance.

Her story……. After displaying symptoms and physical labs showing low iron levels, Rylie was referred to a Gastroenterologist, who recommended a colonoscopy. This procedure found a mass in her colon. The biopsy results came back abnormal, and Rylie was quickly referred to the Chief of Colorectal Surgery at Emory University Hospital, who scheduled surgery even before her consultation. During surgery, over a foot of her colon was removed, along with her appendix, and 59 lymph nodes. All the tissue that was removed was thoroughly tested and cancer was discovered in one of the lymph nodes. After 5 weeks of recovery, she was referred to an oncologist with Emory’s Winship Cancer Center. During this consultation, she learned that while the surgery was successful and they were able to remove the stage 3 cancer, she would need to have 6 rounds of chemotherapy. Although it would dramatically decrease the odds of reoccurrence, this came with a devastating decision. The possible byproduct of the treatment would be a threat to her fertility, leaving her unsure whether she would ever be a mom. To ensure her best possible chance of fulfilling that dream, she would need to go through the process of preserving her eggs. With little to no time to consider, Rylie decided that this was the one thing cancer would not take from her, no matter the cost. She had to endure painful daily hormone injections, regular ultrasounds, and egg retrieval for freezing & storing of future babies. All this had to be done before chemo could start. Within 3 days of the egg retrieval, she began the first round of chemotherapy. Every other Monday, Rylie endured a 3-hour infusion at the Cancer Center. She would then need to bring home a device that would slowly pump more chemo into her body for an additional 46 hours. Chemo weeks were rough due to the side effect, and just when she would start to feel normal again, it would be time to start the next round.

I am writing this as she is at her final chemo appointment. In two days, her pump will be disconnected for what will hopefully be the last time. Doctors will continue to monitor her through scans & colonoscopies for the next few years. She has endured this with strength, bravery, and grace. With many thoughts, prayers and love, Rylie will finally be able to move to the next chapter of this story.

Thank you in advance for any support. Please feel free to share Rylie’s story.

A cause that is near and dear to Rylie’s heart is Team Maggie’s Dream. This organization assists young cancer patients with preserving their fertility. If this fundraiser surpasses Rylie’s needs, the remainder will be paid forward to Team Maggie’s Dream.