Throughout her life, my mother Debbie has been a pillar of strength, offering support and love to everyone around her. Now, she needs our help. If you've been lucky enough to know my mother Debbie, you've probably tried her delicious baking. She is famous for her red velvet cake, cupcakes of many flavors, or cookies that satisfy your sweet tooth in the best ways.

On September 17th, Debbie went to the emergency room for difficulty swallowing. She was ultimately dismissed and told it could be part of aging and that she should suck on some lozenges to help produce saliva and follow up with ENT as an outpatient. She couldn't get in with an ENT urgently as her CT scan was "clear of any obvious issues." She was able to secure an appointment with a physician's assistant downtown on 9/23. He performed a scope in the office and saw a large pharyngeal mass which could also be seen on her CT scan with a second look, but was unfortunately missed initially.

On October 4th, 2024, her biopsy confirmed the mass was positive for squamous cell carcinoma. For those of you who don't know, she fought and won against tonsil cancer back in 2002, and they are calling this a possible recurrence of her previous cancer as she is not a smoker and never has been. She went through radiation which essentially broke her jaw, and reconstructive surgery was also performed at that time. The location of this current mass has left her unable to eat or drink. She is currently hospitalized and has a feeding tube to provide her with nutritional support. Her airway has been compromised, which led to a tracheostomy being placed. She had to suddenly leave her job of many years due to her current medical status.

I ask no matter how small or large to contribute what you can or share her story. It is so important to advocate for yourself and your health. We are hopeful in her current team and treatment plan, and she needs her family and friends to support her during this difficult road she has ahead. She will begin chemo and radiation within the next few weeks.

Debbie is a mother of three kids and grandmother to now six grandchildren. She has always been the one to give everything she has for those around her without asking for anything in return. It is long overdue and time we return the favor for her as much as we can to alleviate further stress on this poor woman undeserving of this for now the second time in her life. She has so much more to live for, and we won't let her fight this battle alone.

We're reaching out to friends, family, and kind strangers who might be able to offer financial support. Every donation, no matter the size, will go directly towards her medical expenses and helping her maintain some stability during this difficult time.

Please consider donating and sharing this page with your network. Together, we can help ease the burden and allow Debbie to focus on her health and recovery.

Thank you from the bottom of our hearts for your support.

Please limit calls to her as she is unable to speak at this time. Positive texts to her are welcome! Updates can be provided by myself (daughter Katie).