Hi Everyone,

My dear cousin Angie was hit with a double whammy - two separate cancer diagnoses within 50 days. She has Oral Squamous Cell Carcinoma and Endometrial Carcinoma.

After having what she thought was a routine tooth extraction that was just slow to heal, Angie was diagnosed with Oral Squamous Cell Carcinoma of the mandible on 12/29/25. On 12/30/25 she had a full day of testing at Mayo and was scheduled for surgery. On 1/23/26 Angie had an 8 hour surgery, where they removed the cancer from her jaw, removed 56 left side neck lymph nodes, and rebuilt the jaw with Angie’s fibula. Angie spent 25 nights in the hospital and a transition care unit. Because the cancer spread to 3 lymph nodes and was in the jaw, Angie will need 6 weeks of proton radiation, which will begin on March 9th. The radiation takes place in Rochester and is fairly intense, so Angie has been told she cannot work during radiation and for at least 2 weeks after radiation ends.

The second whammy came on February 16, 2026, when Angie learned that she also has endometrial cancer. The doctors at Mayo are currently working on staging this cancer and determining how and when to begin treatment for this cancer.

Throughout all of this Angie has remained REMARKABLY positive, recognizing the importance of a positive attitude to promote physical and mental healing.

The financial burden that these diagnoses have taken on Angie is adding additional stress. Another double whammy happened with Angie’s medical costs. Because of the timing of the diagnosis and testing in the last days of 2025, Angie reached her deductible/out of pocket maximum in just one day of Mayo appointments, and then had to start over on January 1st (and quickly reached her deductible/out of pocket maximum again!). In addition to dental and medical bills, Angie has expenses with the frequent trips to Rochester for treatment. It is also highly likely that Angie will need to take unpaid time off of work for another surgery and treatment for the endometrial cancer.

If you are able to contribute any amount, so that Angie can focus on healing instead of worrying about bills, it would be truly appreciated. And of course, prayers and positive thoughts are always appreciated!