
Stacy Mill's battle w!ith cancer
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I’m doing this GoFundMe for my friend Stacy Mills. Stacy was one of the first people I met when I moved to Florida and she had just moved here too. We became friends and I told her about my battle with cancer. Fast forward 2 years. Her story started on 8.31.22 when she went to the ER for intense stomach pain but the only thing the CT showed was a 2cm x 3cm mass in her lower right lung. She immediately began the process to have the mass removed and find out exactly what type mass she had. By the time the head of Cardiothoracic surgery removed the mass on 11.30.22, it measured 5cm x 7cm. The initial postop scan showed clear margins and no further growth so she was sent to an oncologist here in Stuart. On her first appointment on December 15, 2022, she was told the mass was Stage 4 Leiomyosarcoma, a rare aggressive cancer that would be coming back. Second post op pet scan showed a small mass in her liver, 60 day post op pet scan showed the liver mass had doubled, so she decided to seek treatment at Mayo in Jacksonville, the best hospital is the country for sarcoma. She was expecting surgery but instead got offered a year-long, potentially life-saving clinical trial. Chemo was to start immediately and it was going to be an extremely vigorous course, so she left Mayo with FMLA (Family Medical Leave Act) paperwork to return to work 01.01.24. Instead her employer Wallace Cadillac decided to terminate her because, due to the time she had to take off for her lobectomy, she only had 5 weeks left of the legal 12 weeks of leave guaranteed by FMLA. Talk about financial hardship! Her insurance was $319/mo., now it’s $779 because of cobra. I’m sure you’re wondering why she didn’t apply for Medicaid or simply switch insurances. Clinical trials do not accept Medicaid, and when your current insurance is paying everything but copays, you stick with it. It’s hard enough to live financially without gaining 100s of thousands of dollars in medical debt. She spends at least 17 days a month in Jacksonville, adding an additional financial burden of hotel stays, additional gas and food money, not to mention all the other incidentals one has to buy just from not being at home. None of Stacy’s expenses are due to poor life choices or lack of fiscal responsibility. She’s merely been dealt a bad hand; a hand that any of us could find ourselves holding on any given day, so I am turning to you, her family, extended family, friends and compassionate individuals for support. Your support, whether big or small, will make a significant impact on my Stacy’s battle against this life-threatening disease. By contributing to this GoFundMe campaign, you become a vital part of her journey toward recovery and survival. No donation is too small, and your words of encouragement and prayers are equally cherished. My words can not express my gracious thanks for helping Stacy in her desperate time of need. When you are fighting for your life you should not have to worry about your next meal so I really appreciate anything you can do to help!
Organizer
Taylor Shull
Organizer
Ft. Pierce, FL