November

✨ A Heartfelt Appeal for Support ✨

Hi friends,

I’m sharing this with deep gratitude. Thanks to many of you, I’ve been able to cover a significant portion of my out-of-pocket medical costs so far, and your kindness has truly supported me through this difficult time.

I’m already in chemotherapy, and my treatments will continue into February or March of 2026, along with ongoing CT scans and twice-monthly bloodwork. As the calendar resets, I’ll once again be responsible for all medical costs out of pocket until I reach my deductible and out-of-pocket maximum—likely $5,000 to $6,000 at the start of the year—on top of the expenses already accumulating.

While undergoing chemotherapy, I have missed lots of days of work due to fatigue and side effects. I'm doing my best to work as much as possible, but it's not easy. I don't have any PTO available to me, so I just haven't been paid for the days I've missed.

If you can donate or share my GoFundMe, it would mean the world to me. Every contribution helps ease the financial strain, allowing me to focus my energy on healing.

Please like, comment, and share to help this reach more people.

Thank you, from the bottom of my heart, for your continued love and support. ❤️

August 28th 2025

by Clare L Martin, Organizer

The surgeries are complete, and the bills are starting to arrive. I am deeply grateful for my clear plan for my medical treatment moving forward. Today, I had to pay a radiology bill, which was an unpleasant experience. Experience, I'm keeping the GoFundMe active until I can reach the out-of-pocket maximum. Once I do, all expenses should be covered.

Additionally, my paycheck during this pay period will be low because I missed a lot of work that was not covered by PTO. Thank you all again for your continued support. When it rains, it pours

August 27th, 2025

The chemotherapy class is scheduled for September 8th, and I will be meeting with the medical oncologist on September 9th, when I expect to start chemotherapy. I am no longer feeling scared. I plan to wait a couple more weeks to see how I respond to the treatment before closing the GoFundMe campaign. I want to express my heartfelt gratitude to everyone who contributed; your generosity has enabled us to secure medical treatment that would have been impossible without it. Without your support, we would have faced overwhelming stress as a family.

Many of you have been incredibly generous; we have managed to navigate this medical crisis largely unscathed. As I mentioned, I will hold off on closing the donations until I have a better understanding of my response to chemotherapy. Currently, I feel determined to power through, and I will continue to accrue time off from work, even though I have exhausted the previously available options. Your loving concern has kept me going during this difficult time. I can never fully repay your kindness, but I promise to pay it forward in any way I can. Thank you all once again. @highlight

August 26th, 2025

I just met with the oncological nurse practitioner for Dr Kaufman, and she gave me a copy of the pathology report. It had a big check mark on it saying that I was technically cured and that the adjuvant chemotherapy is going to be a measure as an assurance that cancer won't return! The whole visit lasted 6 minutes. I bought myself a chemo care package for when I start in September. It's vitamins and supplements approved by my doctor, a special toothbrush, Pedialyte popsicles, and TummyPops that are supposed to help with nausea. I will be taking an adjuvant chemo by mouth. It's called Xeloda. I'll be taking it for 6 months. More soon.

August 24th, 2025

I'm currently facing health challenges that are affecting my mood, and I'm uncertain about my future, especially once I start chemotherapy. Someone asked me how I plan to manage if I'm too unwell to work. I plan to take things one day at a time, as I need to continue working. I have acquaintances familiar with my professional life and recognize my commitment to being as dedicated as possible. I'm trying to avoid causing unnecessary concern about my ability to cope. I feel confident in my ability to manage this situation.

I'll be taking it day by day, and I've been prescribed medication to alleviate nausea; in fact, I have two medications for that purpose. I must maintain a positive attitude and prioritize my mental and physical health. My conversation with the medical oncologist left a lasting impression on me. She emphasized that my cancer is aggressive and that her goal is to prolong my life for as long as possible. This information was new to me, which is why I feel concerned. https://gofund.me/5c4113f7

I have been diagnosed with stage 2 of a rare and aggressive gallbladder cancer. My gallbladder was taken out on June 23rd, and about a week later, we found out that it had cancer in it. On August 4th, I had a resection of my abdominal area to remove lymph nodes, tissue, part of my liver, and muscle in the region. My treatment plan now includes oral chemotherapy, which involves taking pills twice a day every two weeks, followed by a week of blood work and check-ins with my doctor, Dr. Elizabeth Lejeune. Dr Lejeune wants me to be at least 4 weeks out from my surgery before she starts me on chemotherapy. This news, although challenging, is better than I anticipated. Dr. Lejeune's goal is to extend my life for as long as possible, and I am committed to following her recommendations. I expect to continue working throughout this period. The chemotherapy treatment is scheduled to last six months. Having exhausted my paid time off, I will keep the GoFundMe page active, as it has been instrumental in covering medical expenses and providing a financial cushion. I am grateful for everyone's care and concern. Your support during this time has been invaluable. Now that I am home, maintaining proper nutrition is essential, and I plan to focus on living as healthily as possible.

Hello friends,

On Monday, August 4th, I had the laparoscopic robotic surgery performed by Dr Henry Kaufman IV, to remove cancerous tissue, nerves, lymph nodes, muscle, and part of my liver—this is after my gallbladder was removed in June by Dr Kaufman due to gallbladder cancer. As the primary breadwinner for my family, I am deeply worried about how we will manage during my recovery.

I only have about a week of paid time off available, and it’s unclear if I will need chemotherapy or radiation afterward.

If you’ve already helped, I am so grateful—your support means everything to me. If you can, even a small contribution or a share of this GoFundMe campaign would be a massive help as we face the uncertainty ahead.

Thank you so much for your kindness, prayers, and any support you can give.

With gratitude,

Clare L. Martin

Update August 1, 2025

I am preparing for a radical cholecystectomy, a surgical procedure to remove tissues and lymph nodes, primarily to treat gallbladder cancer. Even though my gallbladder has already been removed, there are cancerous nerves, muscles, tissues, and possibly liver involvement in the area where the gallbladder used to be. My surgeon, Henry Kaufman IV, is an exceptional doctor, and I feel incredibly fortunate to have him on my case.

As I prepare for Monday, I paid $1,196.65, half of my financial responsibility for the surgery. It was necessary to move forward. I’m reaching out to ask if anyone can contribute or give again as the surgery and my recovery time approach. This morning, I spoke with the Board President and offered to work from home during my recovery to manage a few hours of paid work here and there. She encouraged me to track my time. We still don’t know if I’ll need chemotherapy or radiation after the surgery.

Your kindness and generosity have been overwhelming, and I’m grateful.

Clare

Update July 26th, 2025

It's difficult to ask for help, but my situation is critical. I have my major surgery to remove cancerous tissue, nerves, lymph nodes, muscle, and to shave part of my liver scheduled for Monday, August 4th. While I was able to set up a payment plan, many of the bills from my first surgery on June 23rd have not been processed yet.

I have about a week of PTO available, but I'm unsure how long I will be out of work. As the primary breadwinner for my family, I have obligations to meet, and our budget is tight, like many others.

Thank you to everyone who has already contributed; I want you to know that I won't touch that money until after the surgery. I promise to keep you updated once I’ve recovered and have more information about my post-surgery treatment. Right now, I am hoping for the best and that they can perform the surgery laparoscopically, although my body composition may complicate things.

Please keep us in your prayers. If you have already donated, I kindly ask you to share this post. Your loving kindness means the world to me.

Update July 25th, 2025

I'm hoping for the best outcome from the surgery. I hope they can perform the procedure laparoscopically to shorten my recovery time. I do have about a week of paid time off. It is my understanding that they may want to put me on chemo or radiation after the surgery to make sure there's no recurrence and to make sure they get it all. It's hard to ask for help. We're paying as we go; many of you have helped us make that. We still have thousands of dollars in outstanding bills, and not knowing when I will need to settle them weighs heavily on me. I thank you all for your generosity. If you've already given, could you please share this link? I would greatly appreciate any help you can provide!.

Update July 24th 2025

We won't know what stage the cancer is until after the surgery on Monday, August 4th. They must look at the pathology and the procedure results to determine that. I will be seeing a medical oncologist, Dr Elizabeth Lejeune. I've only heard great things about her. From there, they'll determine whether I have to have chemo or radiation, which is a definite possibility. I'm trying not to think too far in advance, but it does give me relief to know that I have a surgery date and enough time to line up my plans for before and after. It's a definite possibility that they may have to open me up instead of doing the surgery laparoscopically because of my body composition, which will mean a longer recovery. I will likely have to take much time off from work, but it's unknown how much now. Everyone has been kind and generous with prayers and monetary gifts. Please share the link below. We are still in need, and I'm trying to save money for after the operation to take care of ourselves while I'm recovering. Also, if I have to have chemo or radiation, I may miss work, and my PTO is limited.

** Update July 22nd

My surgery is scheduled for Monday, August 4th, 2025. That's our anniversary! I don't have a problem having surgery on my anniversary because we're going to celebrate the weekend before. Thank you for your continued prayers!

**Update - July 20, 2025**

Hello again,

I am currently waiting for the results of a cancer antigen blood test to determine if there are cancer cells in my blood. My doctor is postponing interpreting the PET scan results until we have the blood......d work results to better plan the next steps.

As it stands, I anticipate undergoing another surgery to remove tissue, nerves, some muscle, and parts of my liver where the cancer was located. This will be a radical surgery, but the plan is to perform it laparoscopically with the assistance of a robot. The medical team will be closely monitoring the situation, and if any complications arise, they may need to resort to open surgery.

I expect to receive information about the surgery date later this week, and I will keep everyone informed. If the blood test shows that cancer is present, I have a medical oncologist ready to take me as a patient, which would likely mean undergoing chemotherapy or radiation. They may also consider other interventional treatments depending on the condition of the tissues, nerves, and muscles once the pathology results are available.

I received some encouraging news indicating no spread beyond the initial pathology report. The exact words were that there was no "metabolically active disease, and no metastatic or recurrent disease." However, there is a detailed report from the PET scan that I am waiting for my doctor to interpret. Once he reviews the scan, he will be able to determine the stage of the cancer.

As mentioned, we await the blood work results and the surgeon's opinion. I have great confidence in my care team.

Thanks to the generosity of many friends, we have been able to make payments for my medical treatment so far. Your kindness and support mean the world to me, and I am truly grateful for your generosity.

I will provide more updates soon.

Hi, I'm Clare. In June, I had to have an emergency gallbladder surgery, and unfortunately, when the pathology cameeeeeeeeeeeee backckckckckckck, there was cancer. I am going to have to have another surgery to remove additional cancer in my abdominal region.

My husband's job offers excellent insurance, but we are strapped now, living paycheck to paycheck, and need financial help. I will likely have unpaid leave from my job. We will need income of some kind to meet our obligations and support ourselves.

It is not known right now if I'm going to have any chemo or radiation following the radical surgery that I'm going to have. We have a small savings, but it won't be enough to cover time out of work. I plan to work as much as possible, but I'm afraid that with this prognosis, I will be out of work for some time without pay.

I would greatly appreciate it if you could share some of your resources. I will pay it forward in any way that I can. Below, I have included a biographical statement about my 20-plus years as a professional writer and poet. So many friends have been able to help us in the short term, but I'm afraid we will need help in the long term.

We would be blessed if you could share your prayers and resources with us. We will be careful in how we use them. Thank you in advance for your kindness and compassion.

Much love,

Clare L. Martin

Each success, no matter how small, in the practice of what I love is a lightning strike against the dark.

~CLM

Clare L. Martin Biographical Statement

Clare L. Martin is a poet and teaching artist based in Louisiana. Nixes Mate Review Books released her book-length poem, Crone, in 2018. Clare’s second collection, Seek the Holy Dark, was the 2017 Louisiana Cajun and Creole Series selection from Yellow Flag Press. Her debut was published by Press 53.

Clare’s poetry has appeared in Thrush Poetry Journal, Poets and Artists, Louisiana Literature, and many other literary publications. In 2019, she performed her work Crone in a dramatic reading at Teche Center for the Arts in Breaux Bridge, Louisiana, and The Latter Library in New Orleans, alongside her creative counterpart, Bessie Senette.

Martin has been featured at various venues, including the George Washington University Textile Museum in Washington, D.C., the Asheville Poetry Festival in Asheville, North Carolina, the Austin International Poetry Festival in Austin, Texas, and Seattle as part of the Association of Writers and Writing Programs Conference.

Regionally, in Louisiana, she has performed her works in Lafayette, Baton Rouge, Grand Coteau, Arnaudville, Breaux Bridge, Lake Charles, and New Orleans. Additionally, she was featured as a panelist at the invitation of former Louisiana Poet Laureates John Warner Smith and Jack Bedell during the Louisiana Book Festival at the State Library of Louisiana in Baton Rouge.

Martin maintains a vital network with international poets and writers and frequently collaborates with artists from diverse disciplines. She also serves as a private creative mentor and leader for emerging writers through projects she initiated and facilitated, such as Acadiana Scribes, Acadiana Word Lab, and Renegade Writers.

Throughout her 20-plus years as a professional writer and teaching artist, she has presented numerous creative writing workshops for school-aged children and adults.

In 2015, she founded MockingHeart Review, an online poetry and visual art magazine, which is entering its tenth year, now under the editorship of poet and professor Dr. Tyler Robert Sheldon.

Clare L. Martin serves as the executive director of the Vermilion Council on Aging.