Support the Rushing Family

Dear Friends and Family,

 

My sweet friend Michelle Rushing, was recently diagnosed with a rare adrenal cancer, adrenocortical cancer, a literal one-in-a-million diagnosis.

For those of you who don't know Michelle, she is an incredibly strong and loving human being. She has five beautiful children and is the most dedicated mother any child could ever hope for. At the beginning of the month, Michelle was forced to leave her family (her husband Eddie and their children) to fly to The National Institutes of Health in Maryland to receive medical treatment, as the rarity of this cancer means there are only a very small number of specialists qualified to treat it. Doctors removed the 14.4 cm testosterone-producing tumor, as well as the left kidney it shared blood supply with, the spleen, 13 lymph nodes, the tail of the pancreas, and a small part of the diaphragm. A blood transfusion was needed during surgery, and post-op, multiple blood clots developed. While the tumor was able to be removed, the rate of recurrence for this type of cancer is very high, and usually within the first few years. Furthermore, this cancer is known to be resistant to chemotherapy. The medical professionals may only be able to slow the spread but not arrest it. Doctors have placed Michelle on a series of medications to help with the adrenal gland and pancreas' loss of function and will soon add an oral chemo treatment, which they hope will give her comfort and extend her life as much as possible.

 

In addition to the extreme emotional duress the Rushing family is experiencing, the financial impact has been overwhelming. Michelle's husband has had to take several weeks off of work (unpaid) to care for Michelle and the children. If care extends beyond what his work will allow for unpaid leave, he will also be forced to request a significant demotion and to return only part-time, which will have a profound impact on their sole source of income.

 

When something like this happens to someone we love and care about, we feel helpless. And to the largest extent, we are. I'm asking all of you to please do what you can to support this family as they navigate this most painful time. Absolutely anything helps.

 

Many thanks to you all,

 

Kaitlin Mazzei (on behalf of the Rushing Family)