The Cancer was Free, the Treatment Isn't

Nicole Kelly: The woman, the myth, the legend

When I describe Nicole to someone, I refer to her as my work wife and a “jack of all trades, and master of quite a few.” My hospital has had the privilege of working with Nicole for over 8 years now, and during that time she has been tried & tested, trained numerous staff, and most importantly, gone above and beyond for her patients and her work family any time she could. Nicole & her husband Brian have two adult children (Pat & Char) and adopted 3 younger children: Jaxon (13), Cameron (13), and Josie (11). As the younger ones all have special needs, Brian is a stay-at-home parent to support them, meaning Nicole is the breadwinner for her family.

After an emergency room visit on August 24, 2024, for what was determined to be a Transient Ischemic Attack (TIA), Nicole’s CT scan revealed a mass in her brain as the likely culprit. She successfully underwent surgery on October 18th to remove the mass and place an implant where part of her skull had to be removed. The surgery was successful and recovery went well. The week after surgery, however, Nicole received the news none of us were expecting or prepared for: the mass was Multiple Myeloma.

Multiple Myeloma is a blood cancer that develops in plasma cells in the bone marrow. Like other cancers, this one has various types, prognoses, and treatments. If you know Nicole personally, this will come as no shock to you, but she went ahead & got diagnosed with one of the most severe, Bence Jones. She doesn’t do anything halfway, that’s for sure. As of now, we know she has lesions in her hips, shoulders, ribs, skull, spine, & sternum but thankfully not in her organs. Prognosis for Multiple Myeloma is difficult to determine. Current research suggests up to 16 months; however, the team at Mayo estimates 7-10 years if no complications arise, due to new treatment that research is currently behind on.

I can’t begin to understand Nicole’s treatment plan except for this: She will have oral chemo every other day and weekly chemo injections for around six months. At some point in the spring, she will likely have a stem cell transplant. For this, she will most likely have to stay in Rochester to be treated at Mayo Clinic for a minimum of 6 weeks. As paid time off and short-term disability are limited, I have created this fundraiser to best support Nicole to ease her worries about finances, so she can focus on treatment and recovery. Chemo is already taking its toll, and I would love nothing more than for Nicole to be able to rest and prioritize her health through this process. All funds raised will go directly to Nicole’s insurance copays, room & board when she must stay in Rochester, groceries, utilities, and so on to support her family.

Please share this fundraiser far & wide. Nicole is one of, if not the most caring people I’ve had the privilege of knowing. She has supported countless colleagues and family members through their illnesses, injuries, and life events, me included. Nobody deserves what she is going through and will continue to go through, so anything that can be done to ease her burden is a blessing.

Regular updates are available on her Caring Bridge site as well:

https://www.caringbridge.org/site/f7b7eb8d-9808-11ef-9e17-97aad7f0d82f?utm_source=website_share&utm_medium=share_button&utm_term=&utm_content=link_share_button&utm_campaign=private_home_page

Jess