Hello, my name is Sharon Hsu and I am raising funds for my friend Kay ben-Avraham to provide financial support as she undergoes cancer treatment. Many of you know how splendidly Kay wears her myriad hats of friend, wife, mother, teacher, editor, and writer, and have experienced the warmth of her care and attention over the years. Now we have a chance to show her ours.

Last October, Kay experienced a sudden seizure, which led to the discovery of a tumor in her brain. While the initial exploratory surgery suggested the tumor was benign, after further testing, she learned in February that she has a Grade II diffuse astrocytoma, a type of slow-growing tumor that infiltrates surrounding brain tissue.

The good news is that Kay’s oncology team has a clear plan of treatment: she will have a second surgery in July where the surgeons will remove as much of the tumor as they can, followed by daily medication delivered in the form of a pill that has recently been approved for her particular tumor markers. Depending on how well she responds to this pill, her oncologist is optimistic that Kay would be able to avoid more intensive treatments such as radiation and chemotherapy at this time. In addition to the daily medication, she will also undergo regular MRI scans to monitor further growth of the tumor.

In other words, treatment will be a marathon, not a sprint, and community help covering some of the family’s immediate material needs will allow them to focus on the road ahead. Kay and her family currently are not seeking help with medical expenses as they have insurance/payment plans set up for the procedures and hospital stays. It is also likely that the medication costs will be eligible for assistance through a specialty pharmacy program associated with her hospital.

However, it would provide real relief and peace of mind to have financial resources toward lost wages during the surgery/recovery time, travel and lodging costs for visits to the specialty hospital, and quality-of-life expenses like occasional meal delivery during this rigorous season of additional tests, decision-making, and surgical treatment. To that end, we are setting up an initial goal of $10,000 to cover these costs.

Thank you for supporting in any way and amount you are able. Dear ones of Kay know she is historically more comfortable in the helper role than as the helpee, so I hope we can shower her with so much love and support that she can gracefully sink into being in the center of our care during this season.