This is being set up for my mom and dad, Don and Trish Hatcher.

My mom went to the ER in Troy, AL on March 28 after hours of severe stomach pain. Later, she was transferred to Southeast Health in Dothan, AL. After many tests, scans, bloodwork, X-rays, etc., she learned there was a mass in/around her intestines. She was diagnosed with an aggressive cancer called Adenocarcinoma. This cancer is hereditary and the same cancer that took the life of her brother when he was 42 years old.

In the days following, she learned the cancer had not spread and her lungs and liver were clear. She underwent a 5-hour surgery to remove the tumor, surrounding lymph nodes, and approximately 40% of her intestines. The surgeon said the result of the procedure was perfect and the cancer was gone.

A few hours later, her situation changed dramatically. Her blood sugar dangerously rose to 600. They worked for two hours trying to stabilize her to no avail. They moved her to the Critical Care Unit to continue to work on her. They discovered she was bleeding internally. They took her into emergency surgery in an attempt to locate and stop the bleeding if she was going to live. Her blood pressure dropped to 60/30. The surgical staff opened her up and found 6 liters of blood had leaked into her stomach. The cause was an arterial vein in her stomach that had ruptured. It was cauterized and packed, and shortly after, they finally got her stabilized.

Since then, she’s remained in the Critical Care Unit. It’s been a process of slow, daily progress, with some setbacks along the way. She spent a couple of days sedated and on a ventilator, experienced blood clots, and continues to struggle to maintain good blood pressure. She’s been in the hospital for 4 weeks so far. Each day we see small improvements, only to learn of new challenges (such as the pneumonia) along the way. 

During the fourth week, a couple of days after leaving CCU, she started having issues with internal bleeding and another procedure had to be done. They discovered another leak on the inside of the intestines, where they had seen together the large and small intestines. They were able to stop the bleeding and a couple of days later she was moved out of CCU once again. Keep praying as she looks to have her staples removed and get placed into a rehab facility this week. She’ll continue her healing there with daily physical therapy for the next 3 weeks. Doctors have put together a plan to keep her blood pressure under control moving forward. Overall, the medical staff is optimistic. Healing just takes time.

As you can imagine, this has introduced a large financial burden. In addition to the hospital bills that will come, there are other more immediate needs. Her husband, Don, has been away from home since she initially went to the ER. Costs have included things such as hotel stays, gas to make trips home to Troy and back to Dothan, and meals. My mom and dad have not and would not ask for help. They’ve always trusted God to supply their needs. But many of us know, God often uses people to be His hands and feet to minister to others in times of need. More than anything, they would appreciate your prayers for my mom’s recovery and healing. However, so many of you have asked if there’s anything you can do to help. This GoFundMe is being set up to give friends and family the opportunity to help in a practical way by relieving some stress and financial burdens.