SUPPORT SUMMER ETERNITY

Dear Mom,

You are our beloved mother, grandma, auntie, sister, life partner, friend, pier, expansion guide, (aka, O.G. of “life coach” ;) and overall humble human being. I can hardly believe I’m writing this…

You–Summer Eternity, have been diagnosed with Stage 4 Lung Cancer.

You never smoked! You had no symptoms! You live wholistically! It doesn’t run in our family!

And yet here you are with cancer having spread from your lung to your spine, shoulders, and brain–and estimated to have done so in less than a year. My heart is broken. It breaks even more as I write this, because it takes it from something unfathomable to something real. At least for now…

My whole life I experienced you as 100% dedicated to your health and wellbeing. I witnessed you diving headfirst into exploring every aspect of yourself and what it means to be human. For decades, I have watched you research the “human condition” and educate yourself on all that is known, have the courage to embark into the unknown, and the generosity to share everything you discovered with everyone you could along the way.

Now, you are experiencing one of the saddest human conditions of all: cancer. And still you remain courageous. Watching you receive this diagnosis in real time… I have never witnessed a person, however shocking and scary the news was, earnestly work so hard to stay present, let alone while unexpectedly staring your mortality in the face. It was at once heartbreaking… and inspiring.

I see this is taking a toll on you in all the ways one would expect. This is where we–your family, friends, and greater community–come in.

Trust us…. We will support you through this journey. Your job is to heal. And to live! I will do my best to rally the troops of love and all the resources you need to conquer this challenge.

Your love is everything. I am not ready to live without you. I am not ready for my kids to know life without you. You still have too much to share with us all.

So please stay with us a little–or a lot–longer, Mom.

I love you,

XoLight

Dear Community,

This is my rallying cry to support my mother, Summer, in resolving her cancer!

FUNDRAISING FOR SUPPORTING SUMMER ETERNITY: What she needs and why:

THE GOOD NEWS:

Summer's cancer biopsy tested positive for EGFR mutations, which made her a candidate for "Targeted Therapy". This type of treatment is not chemo, has much fewer side effects, and is much more effective in treating her kind of cancer.

The best news is, after being treated with the targeted therapy for only a few weeks, all but one of the lesions in her brain have been eliminated, her blood markers have improved, and her overall health has already improved!

SUMMER’S MEDICAL TEAM:

We have curated a team of the BEST doctors – oncologist, radiologist, general physician, and naturopathic doctors – who are all working in concert to ensure Summer is combining the best of what both Western and natural treatments have to offer.

SUMMER’S MEDICAL COSTS:

Thankfully, Medicare/Blue Cross will cover much of the costs of her treatments. However, they do not cover some of the newer and/or natural treatments she will be doing in tandem with standard care.

SUMMER’S LIVING EXPENSES:

As you can imagine, Summer’s income has been reduced significantly during this time, so cost of living is a challenge. In addition, she will incur new costs related to her new health needs.

PLEASE NOTE: We, her family, are contributing in all the ways we can! We would love your help in any amount that is appropriate for you. No amount is too small ($25) nor too big ($$$).

From a daughter's heart to yours, thank you for supporting my mom. It means she doesn’t have to be burdened with the pressure of finances and can concentrate on the important work of fighting cancer. –Light

COMMUNICATING WITH SUMMER:

We created a CaringBridge site for you to connect with Summer and it will be her go-to for communication (not her email or phone). She would love to hear from you all at: https://www.caringbridge.org/public/supportsummereternity