We are starting this Go Fund Me on behalf of Marnie Cienkus, a single mom of two and a devoted teacher’s aide to special needs children, who is one of the kindest and most caring people we know. She’s also fighting for her life. On December 22 – three days before Christmas – Marnie’s world turned upside down. She went to the ER for what she thought was an infection and instead found out she had an aggressive blood cancer, Acute Myeloid Leukemia, which affects bone marrow and blood. During a time when most people were enjoying the holidays, she spent the next 8 weeks in a hospital bed, in and out of the ICU, undergoing brutal chemotherapy treatments.

She will continue chemotherapy treatments, both at home and in-patient, over the next few months. The next step in her journey is a stem cell transplant. While chemotherapy will often lead to temporary remission, this aggressive cancer will return if she does not find a donor and undergo a successful transplant. This process will require at least 6 weeks in the hospital and a year of close medical supervision.

The treatment regimen for this cancer is long and will prohibit her from returning to her job at Roosevelt Elementary. As a result, she has lost not only her income, but also the subsidization of her employer-provided health insurance. She is now facing monthly insurance premiums on top of mounting medical bills that are staggering and very real.

We are hoping this Go Fund Me will alleviate some of the stress and financial burden she’s experiencing from this devastating diagnosis, and allow her to focus on recovery. If you know Marnie, you know she’s the person who gives everything to others, from her sweet students to her kids, family and friends. Now she needs us to give something back. Any contribution, large or small, lifts a burden off her shoulders and brings her one step closer to being cancer free and back where she belongs — with her kids and her students.

Thank you for your support,

Matt, Andrea and Amanda