I have had the pleasure of having a friendship with Valerie since 1983 while we were attending school together in Edmond, Oklahoma. This friendship has continued through our entire adult lives, even though we were separated by many states for many years we each made time to see each other Whether it be one’s wedding, a new baby that was born we have been there for one another.

Valerie has spent most of her adult life in Iowa with her husband David and four children. in 2019 David suddenly passed away. My friend is now a widow in her early 50’s something I can not imagine! In 2022 Valerie came to see me in January 2022. She was talking about making a move to Florida a new start a new beginning of course I encouraged this as I was a few short months away from moving to Florida myself. I encouraged this move as I thought it would be so awesome for us to finally live in the same state again, even though we would still be six hours apart, it would be the closest that we live together in 35 years! I also felt the sun and warm weather had to be good for her instead of the gloom and cold of Iowa grieving the loss of her husband.

she made the move and all was going along so wonderful, she was working, making new friends, enjoying the beach, making new life again.

fast forward to 2024, suddenly she has a knot in her neck, as we all know, it takes a bit to get into a doctor so as she’s waiting to see a doctor the knot is growing quickly. It’s also causing her difficulty breathing when she finally gets in. They realize it’s a lymph node is terribly swollen, 432 test later, and yes 432!!! Valerie is diagnosed with stage four breast cancer. The cancer is now in her lymph nodes her lungs now here is the even crazier part she had had a recent mammogram and somehow they missed the spot on her breast, so it’s not like she hadn’t been doing her health screenings. She was doing everything that you’re supposed to. so now here she is in Florida, New to Florida, and pretty much alone, She has to start chemo which makes her terribly sick and then it put her into heart failure. So now she wears an external defibrillator, can’t work and knows very few people to help her. When she finally told me her situation I immediately got in my car and headed her way.

So now I found my friend, sick, alone, battling cancer and struggling to breathe from her heart disease. You all know me all I know is to jump in and do all I can to “fix” this situation for her. If I could only take away the cancer and fix her heart I would. But doing her laundry, taking her to a nice dinner and getting her out of the house for some outings was what I could do. Some fun laughs, late night talks, were priceless!

I quickly discovered the financial burden of not being able to work and the medical bills that are piling in each day has her scared to death. Not knowing how her rent and utilities will be paid as she is navigating treatments is terrifying.

so this is a way I thought I could help. So I’m asking you all, if you can help my friend, please donate to her. Every dollar matters! I left yesterday and there is food in the fridge and rent is paid thru July but August will be here soon and her treatments will continue. So please, if you can help, please do so, it will mean the world to me and to her. Also if you can’t help financially if anyone would like to send her a card private message me and I will give you her address. We all know getting something in the mail other than a bill makes us so happy.