Support for Tricia Cross

Family and friends,

I am sharing my mom's story with you to help her get back on her feet and a little ahead…

If you're reading this, you may already know me. But if we haven't been lucky enough to meet, my name is Ashley Cross, and I'm writing to you from the waiting room at Banner University Medical Center in Tucson, Arizona.

My mom is nearing the 5th hour of what was supposed to be a 4-hour surgery to remove a 24cm x 22cm tumor that wrapped itself around her upper left thigh muscle and is pressing on her sciatic nerve.

In April of this year, my mother started experiencing severe abdominal pain and lower back issues which caused constipation for weeks. She went to the E.R. and was dismissed and told she needed to change her diet. Over the next three months, she was in and out of the E.R. demanding help. However, due to her mental health history and struggle with Somatization Disorder , they would dismiss her without giving her a complete exam. She told the nurses her severe symptoms, but still, they would not listen. They told her to see a nutritionist and change her diet.

Luckily, a caring nurse at Banner South Medical Center noticed a massive lump on her inner left thigh. The nurse asked, "have you noticed this?" My mom said, "yes, I don't know what it is. It just keeps getting bigger since I've had constipation issues." The nurse ordered an MRI right away.

The MRI found a 24cm mass, which appeared to be a Liposarcoma, on her inner left thigh near her groin. Due to its size, the pathologist needs to do a complete exam after surgery to see if cancer is present in any other areas of the mass. We will know the results at her post-op appointment with the surgeons on September 29th.

The funds will go directly to paying down her ER bills, medical bills, surgery costs, hiring a caregiver to come once per week, and transportation.

To say my mom has had a hard life would be an understatement. Despite all she's been through in life, she's been so optimistic and has been an incredible advocate for herself.

Thank you so much for taking the time to read about my amazing mother, Tricia.

With love,

Ashley