Please help support my sister Cari. She was diagnosed with Stage 4 Melanoma that metastasized.

Many may know her as their “School bus driver.” She drove a school bus for 23 years, and the last 2 years working as a security guard. She had to quit what she loved doing due to the melanoma on her right leg after her surgery and the complications that came with it, and was no longer able to drive the school bus.

The devastating news came in August of 2023. She had surgery on her right leg and the right side of her groin area to remove the tumors and some lymph nodes. The complications that arose from the removal of the tumors caused her right leg to swell and retain fluid almost 3 times its normal size. She constantly had to endure the surgical wound opening up on her leg, a tough spot below her knee and down to the side of her shin. Once the wound healed, she was able to start her immunotherapy treatment.

She had a couple of treatments and due to the constant swelling of her leg, they did another PET scan. They found the cancer returned in both the leg and groin area, and metastasized to a spot on her lung and liver. Her treatment changed; now it will be two kinds of medications of immunotherapy and a T-Vec shot into the tumor at the groin area. The tumors shrunk and she started the new immunotherapy treatment. This is when more serious complications of the side effects happened.

She has been in and out of the hospital since July 2024, with up to 2 weeks stay at a time. She developed colitis, Crohn’s, and iron deficiency. She had a couple of iron transfusions, and because of the colitis and Crohn’s, she had to receive potassium through an IV, and her other bloodwork has been abnormal too.

She was placed on steroids since July 2024 with large doses and tapering down to a low dose. Over the last few months, being hospitalized several times, she has had to miss work and does not have short- or long-term disability.

Recently, they found she has burst fractures of the T12 and L1 of her spine and has had to wear a back brace. A recent doctor’s appointment after another CT scan found her pelvic bone on the right side is now fractured, which has led to her getting a bone density test done. They do not know if it is from the steroids, side effects from the treatment, osteoporosis, or if the cancer had spread into the bone.

Due to these complications and the steroid use since July, her immunotherapy has been halted. Because of these fractures and side effects from the immunotherapy, she is unable to work until further notice and more tests/scans done in Jan and Feb of 2025.

We are asking for any help to ease her burden of not being able to work and have an income. This will help with her current living expenses, medications, travel to and from doctor appointments, etc. If you are able to donate, we thank you from the bottom of our hearts, and if you are unable to donate, then please share this on your social media accounts.