Support Samantha Carroll's Fight Against Cancer

My family is no stranger to medical battles. Growing up, my father struggled with a congenital heart defect. Specifically, he had a condition known as Transposition of the Great Arteries/Vessels. This significantly impacted his life as he grew older, having multiple open-heart surgeries, hundreds of doctor and emergency room visits, and anything and everything in between. Through every step of the way, my mom, Samantha Carroll, was by his side.

Unfortunately, in 2012, my dad passed away due to complications of the recovery process following a heart transplant. My mom has frequently had her own battle with medical ailments, fighting lupus for a majority of her life. Over the last few years, she has even had her own struggle fighting cancer. She successfully kicked Endometrial cancer once, as well as won an ongoing battle with Adnexal Carcinoma of the Vulva. However, this came at the cost of a full hysterectomy and multiple rounds of chemo.

Tuesday, June 10th, my mom texted me, telling me I needed to call her. As soon as I could, I called her to see what was going on. She informed me that she had gone to the emergency room for what she thought was a flare-up as she hadn't been feeling good for a few days. She then told me that after some tests and scans, they would be admitting her for an overnight stay as they found a new tumor. A new ~6 cm tumor, she said over the phone. A ~6 cm tumor that wasn't there during her checkup and recurring scans in February 2025. I waited to hear more as they ran more tests during her time in the hospital. The tumor measures approximately 7.5 cm across at its widest point, quickly growing in under 4 months.

From our initial phone call following Sam's meeting with her doctors, they are planning on implanting a chemo port/central line and will be delivering high-dose chemotherapy. She has her initial consultation with her endocrinologist on June 26th. This consultation will give her a more solid layout of the initial treatment plan and what ongoing treatment is going to look like. They warned that this would likely be the most intense chemo she has undergone yet and will be very challenging. I've created a blog for my mom to post and track her thoughts/doctors' visit updates, etc., related to this round.

Please follow along at samfightsback.wordpress.com

Sam and my sister currently reside on the East Coast in the Carolinas. Earlier this year, after a minor stroke and a separate medical incident, my grandma (mom's mom) and grandpa were also forced to move in with my mom due to their declining health and not being able to safely live on their own. This has put an increased burden on my mom as well, while also trying to focus on her own declining health. I live 2000 miles away in Arizona, so I am unable to be there to really help outside of video calls and phone calls. With all the factors, my mother and the rest of the family living with her are not in a great financial spot. I am unfortunately not in any financial position to help in any meaningful way as I currently live and support myself.

**My mom's insurance has the following co-pays and out-of-pockets for some insight:**

In-Network Deductible: $3500

Out-Of-Network Deductible: $7000

In-Network Out of Pocket: $9100

Out-Of-Network Out of Pocket: $18000

I love you, mom. I wish I could help more outside of phone/video calls and coming to visit. But the least I can do is ask for help.

Let's beat cancer again, but maybe this time can we kick it for good?