Dear Family and Friends,

As many of you know, in May of 2023, my mom, Paula Schlafman, was hospitalized twice for what the doctors thought was appendicitis. At the time, for various medical reasons, it was too risky to do an appendectomy. In June, her doctor decided that it was finally time for surgery.

On June 26th, 2023, the doctor not only removed her appendix but also removed a malignant tumor on her appendix and some of her large intestine. Thankfully, the mass was localized at the time and had not spread to other organs, and her margins were clear. Since August of 2023, she continued to see her oncologist and get regular CT scans and blood tests. Despite all tests being clear, she continued to have pain on her right side.

Unfortunately, on February 29, 2024, she woke up with a fever and severe pain in her side. Several hours later, at the ER, a CT scan showed that the cancer had spread to her abdominal lining (peritoneal carcinomatosis).

Miraculously, a friend of hers from high school, who happened to be a urology specialist, saw her Facebook post about being diagnosed with appendiceal cancer and reached out. He told her he had three friends who had been through appendiceal cancer and knew doctors who specialized in this type of cancer.

With this new diagnosis, she reached out to her friend, and he gave her the name of a specialist in Baltimore named Dr. Armando Sardi. She met with Dr. Sardi on April 3, 2024, and had an exploratory laparoscopic surgery on April 15th. The purpose of the surgery was to see if she was a candidate for a procedure called Hyperthermic Intraperitoneal Chemotherapy, or HIPEC. Thankfully, she was a candidate!

On Monday, May 6, 2024, she checked into Mercy Hospital in Baltimore for her surgery the following day. The surgery, which included a hysterectomy as well as the removal of her spleen and gallbladder, lasted over 10 hours. She was in the hospital for two weeks, enduring a long and arduous recovery.

My mom was able to return to teaching, part-time, at the end of that summer. She continued getting scans every three months. In January 2025, she returned to teaching full-time. All was clear until her January 3rd scan. The scan showed a few nodules on her lungs that were too small to biopsy at the time. Unfortunately, on March 21st, the scans showed that the pulmonary nodules had metastasized and increased.

On Tuesday, May 6th, a year after her HIPEC surgery, my mom began systemic chemotherapy to combat the pulmonary nodules and prevent further spread. I am heartbroken that she must undergo this treatment, especially so soon after her aggressive surgery last year. My mom has been working in early childhood for over 30 years, and I know she has touched countless children and their families. It was a very difficult decision to leave her position as a preschool teacher, a position that she loved dearly, as she felt it was necessary to focus on her health. But she will be back! My mom is one of the strongest people I know, and she is taking every necessary measure to fight this thing with everything she has, while somehow keeping her sense of humor!

However, she’s not going to fight this alone. We are so incredibly grateful for our amazing support system. We kindly ask for your help once again. I have created a GoFundMe to help support my mom as she navigates this journey. This money will go towards her medical and living costs. Any amount is greatly appreciated and will make a significant difference.

Thank you for taking the time to read my mom’s story. Your support means the world to us.

Sincerely,

Joshua