Support Cori Jenkins' Healing Journey of Stage 4 Cancer

My best friend from high school, Cori Jenkins, is an incredible woman who has shown undeniable strength and resilience during the past 3 years since she first got her diagnoses of cervical cancer. She is now facing her toughest challenge yet as she recently got the news that her cancer has metastasized and progressed to stage 4.

The mounting costs of treatment have become overwhelming, and we are reaching out to our community, friends, and family for support. Your generosity will directly impact her ability to focus on healing, well-being and have a huge impact on her quality of life during her next steps.

Cori and I were inseparable in high school, and although life took us on different paths, we recently reconnected on social media. When she shared the journey she has been on with me, I felt strongly that I needed to help her in any way possible- one of the ways being this Gofundme.

Cori is an incredible woman of faith, a devoted wife, and a homeschooling mama to three beautiful kids. She’s also a stepmom to two more, and she has one heavenly baby who she lost under the most tragic circumstances.

Three years ago, Cori was anxiously waiting for her baby, Owen, to arrive. At 41 weeks pregnant, she woke up with a gnawing sense that something was wrong. She hadn't felt Owen move recently, so she rushed to the hospital, her heart in her throat. When they found Owen's heartbeat, she felt a surge of relief. But as things quickly deteriorated, Owen’s heartbeat dropped, and Cori was rushed into an emergency C-section so fast she had to endure some of the procedure without anesthesia, the whole experience was extremely traumatic for her. When she woke up, she was devastated to learn that her precious baby hadn’t survived. The grief and trauma left her with severe PTSD.

Just five months after this heart-wrenching loss, Cori faced another gut-wrenching blow: a diagnosis of stage 2 cervical cancer. She hadn’t had time to properly mourn or heal from her major loss and surgery, and now she was thrust into a new battle. Initial treatment options included chemotherapy and radiation, but the side effects and the high risk of recurrence led her to seek a second opinion. The second opinion did offer her surgery but there was still a very high chance of still needing chemo and radiation after surgery. The thought of surgery, so soon after her traumatic csection and loss of her baby, was paralyzing. Overwhelmed but determined, she delved into research about her cancer and explored natural healing methods.

Her commitment to healing naturally led her to make significant lifestyle changes. Remarkably, her scans showed some shrinking of the cancer, which fueled her hope. She began working with a holistic health coach and took Chinese herbs that stopped the bleeding that is common with her type of cancer and her monthly bloodwork was very promising in showing that her immune system was gradually getting better and better and was now functioning higher than ever!

Her progress, at the time, seemed promising until she began experiencing alarming symptoms. Severe pain at times, a nagging cough, hip issues, extreme exhaustion and more prompted her to seek a new scan. The new scan revealed that the cancer had progressed, now affecting her left hip, right kidney and both lungs. Along with multiple lymph nodes throughout her pelvis and abdomen. With her cancer advancing, Cori has decided to go forth with a more aggressive approach and is set to begin chemotherapy on August 27th. While the thought of chemotherapy is daunting, Cori's extensive research has led her be able to plan an integrative approach that combines traditional methods like chemo with holistic treatments. These holistic treatments have been shown to minimize side effects, help protect her healthy cells and keep her body as strong as possible for her overall well-being during this challenging time.

The financial burden of her treatments thus far has been immense. Cori’s husband, Mike has been the sole breadwinner of the family for the last 10 years while she has homeschooled their children, and now with the severe risk of fracture in her hip, the physical strain and pain the cancer has already caused her (and more that chemo is likely to cause), she is unable to be committed to any type of job. With all of the many drs appts and scans, Mike has already had to take off so much work and now with the need for chemotherapy, he will need to take more time off work causing greater financial strain during an already extremely difficult time for them. This makes it even more crucial for us to rally around her.

With chemo starting so soon, it is crucial we aim to raise funds to cover these things that her insurance does not cover, including:

• IV Vitamin C Treatments: To protect healthy cells and boost her immune system. This one we can go about it multiple ways. At the very minimum, Cori needs two doses around her chemo treatments which are every 3 weeks. This will be huge in protecting her healthy cells while chemo is there to destroy. If we raise a lot of funds, 2-3 treatments a week is what is actually recommended to keep her healthy and strong. Each treatment costs $130.

• Mistletoe Treatment: provides immune system support, improves quality of life, very good for pain relief, and it helps keep side effects from chemotherapy to a minimum. This treatment costs $30 and we don’t know yet how often she would need it but it could be anywhere from 2 days a week to daily or even twice a day.

•Asea supplement: costs $500/ month. Asea enhances the bodies ability to repair and replace damaged cells, it boosts the immune system, it helps regulate oxidative stress, it helps with energy and vitality, and manages inflammation. It’s just an over all amazing supplement!!

•At home care: they have been paying someone to come stay with Cori while Mike is at work. She juices for her, picks up her prescriptions, takes her and the kids places and just helps with anything she need help with. They pay her $50 a day and she typically comes Monday -Friday.

• Cold Chemo Hand and Feet Gloves: To help prevent nerve damage in her hands and feet ($70)

• Cold Cap: This is the same concept as the gloves which is a medical grade device to help reduce hair loss and is not covered by insurance ($369/per month).

• Quality Hydration Drinks: To support her as chemo severely dehydrates you ($50 for 24 drinks).

• Nutritional Shakes: These are high caloric, meal replacement shakes as loss of appetite is a big side effect of chemo and we want to make sure she has something she can have to get her essential vitamins and nutrients ($80 for a 12 pack)

• Herbal Supplements: turmeric for inflammation, licorice root- for inflammation, skin, hair and gut health, astragalus- studies shown to improve overall survival rate and higher tumor response rates. Just those 3 supplements named will cost around $160 for just a one month supply. She will be planning to take make more. Cori took a detailed blood test at one point in her journey that showed her many supplements that would help fight her specific cancer. We will keep you all updated as we make those decisions.

In order to give Cori her best shot, it would be wise to come at this through multiple angles. We are trying to provide her with a very thought out, strategic plan. One that is not stressful but is effective and will work alongside chemotherapy while minimizing the very risky side effects.

Cori is going to be taking high dose, toxic, chemotherapy drugs. Her doctors have said such, so it is crucial that she is able to protect her body with these herbal treatments that studies and other cancer patients have all had success with. Even the smallest contribution can make a big difference in her journey!!

If you can’t give, please share this and most definitely keep Cori in your thoughts and prayers either way!!

Cori has said it a million times, prayers have carried her through so many hard things in her life and she feels them. They really work. So even if you are unable to provide financial support, your prayers are very much appreciated and needed!

Thank you for your kindness and support, it means the world!!

"Again, truly I tell you that if two of you on earth agree about anything they ask for, it will be done for them by my Father in heaven. For where two or three gather in my name, there am I with them." Matthew 18:19-20 (NIV)