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I am creating this fund to hopefully assist my mother, Judy Lanza, through a very challenging time. She has been battling health complications for a few years now, even overcoming a stage one cancer battle about a year ago which I also ran a GoFundMe for (thank you to anyone who supported us back then!). However, this past Thursday, July 23rd, my Mom was a bit less lucky.
After a biopsy on a mass discovered on her pancreas, my Mom received the news that the tumor is, indeed, cancerous. The diagnosis is currently Stage 3. The mass itself is 2" in diameter, causing tremendous pain, and requires a course of chemotherapy to shrink it down to an operable size. As of yet, the cancer is isolated in the mass and, with chemo, will likely become operable in around 10-12 weeks (6-8 week treatment course and some recovery between procedures). Fortunately, and most hopefully, this was caught relatively early and is still treatable. Pancreatic cancer has a high fatality rate, but a solid survival rate when caught early on!! WE CAN DO THIS! My mom's oncologist left her with a real, actionable, powerful gem today - "We're gonna get this f***in' thing!"
My mother will be applying for disability in the state of New Jersey, and she will very likely be approved, but there is a 6 month approval gap where she won't be able to work due to the nature of the treatment and level of pain she is experiencing. Medicare can cover a lot of the medical procedures to come, but we all know the expenses of life won't stop and let her focus on just her health. This is where we all come in.
This fund will be primarily to assist my mother and sister, who live together in NJ, with covering their rent, bills, and food expenses while waiting for disability approval. My sister works full time, but once my Mom needs to take time off to apply for disability, things will get very challenging very quickly. Rent falls just under $1500/month, and they are receiving a small amount of money on food stamps (around $100/month). The goal I've set for the fund is reflective of these numbers, and optimistic - I know we can help my Mom and sister worry a little less about making those payments and keeping food in the fridge so they can focus their energy on FIGHTING this thing. My Mom is a fighter! She is also truly in need of our help to keep up this effort. She has been incredibly resourceful in finding inexpensive or free ways to work towards this diagnosis (signing up for studies, contacting support groups on social media for resources), but now the hardest work starts.
Traveling to visit in New Jersey is out of the question, as my mother's diagnosis places her in the high risk category for complications from COVID-19. This fund is going to be the best way I can help her in lieu of being by her side through this all. I am turning to you, my friends, my acquaintances, my family, and whoever ends up reading this page, to help me help her. Perhaps some of us can come together in this moment and make some real good... I have seen it before with my own eyes, what people can really do for each other, and it swells my heart.
Thank you to anyone taking the time to read this, and thank you so much to any of you who decide to show your love and support. I will update this page once a week with any new information I have in regards to treatments and how my Mom is feeling. I KNOW she can kick this thing's ass! We just need a bit of love to help us. Thank you thank you thank you.
After a biopsy on a mass discovered on her pancreas, my Mom received the news that the tumor is, indeed, cancerous. The diagnosis is currently Stage 3. The mass itself is 2" in diameter, causing tremendous pain, and requires a course of chemotherapy to shrink it down to an operable size. As of yet, the cancer is isolated in the mass and, with chemo, will likely become operable in around 10-12 weeks (6-8 week treatment course and some recovery between procedures). Fortunately, and most hopefully, this was caught relatively early and is still treatable. Pancreatic cancer has a high fatality rate, but a solid survival rate when caught early on!! WE CAN DO THIS! My mom's oncologist left her with a real, actionable, powerful gem today - "We're gonna get this f***in' thing!"
My mother will be applying for disability in the state of New Jersey, and she will very likely be approved, but there is a 6 month approval gap where she won't be able to work due to the nature of the treatment and level of pain she is experiencing. Medicare can cover a lot of the medical procedures to come, but we all know the expenses of life won't stop and let her focus on just her health. This is where we all come in.
This fund will be primarily to assist my mother and sister, who live together in NJ, with covering their rent, bills, and food expenses while waiting for disability approval. My sister works full time, but once my Mom needs to take time off to apply for disability, things will get very challenging very quickly. Rent falls just under $1500/month, and they are receiving a small amount of money on food stamps (around $100/month). The goal I've set for the fund is reflective of these numbers, and optimistic - I know we can help my Mom and sister worry a little less about making those payments and keeping food in the fridge so they can focus their energy on FIGHTING this thing. My Mom is a fighter! She is also truly in need of our help to keep up this effort. She has been incredibly resourceful in finding inexpensive or free ways to work towards this diagnosis (signing up for studies, contacting support groups on social media for resources), but now the hardest work starts.
Traveling to visit in New Jersey is out of the question, as my mother's diagnosis places her in the high risk category for complications from COVID-19. This fund is going to be the best way I can help her in lieu of being by her side through this all. I am turning to you, my friends, my acquaintances, my family, and whoever ends up reading this page, to help me help her. Perhaps some of us can come together in this moment and make some real good... I have seen it before with my own eyes, what people can really do for each other, and it swells my heart.
Thank you to anyone taking the time to read this, and thank you so much to any of you who decide to show your love and support. I will update this page once a week with any new information I have in regards to treatments and how my Mom is feeling. I KNOW she can kick this thing's ass! We just need a bit of love to help us. Thank you thank you thank you.