My mom, Vera has had to deal with more hardships than most deal with in a lifetime. Medically, alone she suffered fractured vertebrae after an accident, then a life threatening infection that required multiple surgeries and regular IV penicillin that took a toll on her body and mental health. We were thinking we were in the clear and focused on the future then most recently, Vera was diagnosed with an advanced lymph node tumor on June 1st, her 58th birthday. The tumor spread to her nasal cavity and larynx, exacerbating my mom's symptoms (difficulty breathing, talking, eating and drinking) so it cannot be surgically removed. Vera had to have a feeding tube installed on June 14th to assist in liquid and food intake as its difficult to do so without choking due to the tumor size and location and she needs as much weight gain as possible to endure radiation and chemotherapy 5x/week for 7 weeks to start, beginning the week of June 21. This diagnosis has rocked my entire family but mom is a fighter and through every adversity she has faced she has improved and become a stronger person because of it. She is a kind and devoted friend, wife, mother, and nana (her grandson is her whole world). Her battle is going to be a hard fight, but she is committed to beating this illness! The Drs are positive and treating for a cure, not comfort. 

My dad, her husband Norm, has taken a temporary leave of absence from work to attend appointments, care for Vera during treatment, and make her as comfortable as she can be. My name is Jennifer,  I started a GoFundMe to help mom and dad through this difficult time and ease the stresses of the situation (lost income, and out-of-pocket medical and accessibility expenses) while mom fights cancer and dad supports her every step of the way through treatment and recovery! My mom has a difficult road ahead of her and the last thing I want is for my parents to be worried about bills and expenses while she is trying to heal and get better. I want them both to be able to focus on my mom getting healthy and strong and spending the time they have together not worried about the further financial strain of this diagnosis.

My parents have given me a great life. They have been nothing but supportive, loving and generous and if I have learned anything, it is that we don't need to fight this alone. It can be a very hard to ask for help, my dad particularly who prides himself on his ability to do whatever it takes to provide for his family, while always offering a helping hand to others. Though, if there were ever a time to ask, it is now.  I would love to be able to ease their stress and help my parents be as secure and comfortable as possible through this with the help of our friends, family and community.

I want mom and dad to get much more time together, as a family, with friends, and savor every moment life has to offer. Any donation or words of motivation you can share will help make that possible. Thank you so much for your support, your donations and your words of encouragement in this difficult time!