Team Teresa: Glioblastoma Warrior
Donation protected
Hello Teresa's friends, family, and prayer warriors!!
On July 30, 2020 our worlds were turned upside down when Teresa had a seizure in her car while stopped in a drive thru. She fractured several ribs, as well as other injuries, but when her CT & MRI came back it was discovered that she had a mass in her brain. She was taken to a nearby hospital with a nuero team and given another mri and told she would need a craniotomy as soon as possible to remove the brain tumor. On August 3rd Teresa had her first craniotomy. Throughout her entire hospital stay, until discharge she had to be alone due to covid restrictions, except for 15 minutes before surgery when her husband Bob was allowed to see her before being taken back. Teresa was so brave and positive throughout this experience.
On August 15, after the longest two week wait, the biopsy results came back as a diagnosis of Glioblastoma, a very aggressive terminal brain cancer. Teresa said on that day that she was determined to fight with all her might and beat the statistics and that is exactly what she has bravely been doing since. After another hospitalization at the end of August for a Pulmonary Embolism Teresa began treatment. Starting September 2nd Teresa began 6 weeks of daily chemo, a bi-weekly IV chemo infusion, and daily (M-F) radiation treatments. This treatment is very intense and comes with multiple medications and side effects, but Teresa stayed strong and positive throughout and received some clear mri scans.
In January, an mri showed what appeared to be a second tumor growing. A March mri confirmed the second tumor. In April, Teresa travelled to Duke University to the Preston Robert Tisch Brain Tumor Center and was found eligible for a new clinical trial and after much prayer and consideration decided to take the opportunity and continue to throw everything she has at this cancer.
On April 14 Teresa underwent her second craniotomy in less than a year and had a biopsy (confirmed the tumor was GBM) and had a catheter placed directly into the brain tumor. On April 15, Teresa received a 6 hour infusion of a modified Polio Virus. The goal is that the immune system will go into overdrive and attack the tumor.
Now Teresa will be travelling to Duke every 3 weeks for Keytruda infusions and MRIs. This requires a 6 hour drive and hotel stay and is a very exhausting experience for mom.
This extensive treatment and hospitalizations have come with many medical bills, and going forward will continue to come with medical bills, in addition to monthly travel expenses for hotel stays, transportation, etc...
We cannot thank everyone enough for all of the support Teresa and family have received up to this point and going forward. All of the words of encouragement, prayers, food drop offs, gift cards, and other gifts have meant the world to Teresa and her family. If you feel inclined to gift a monetary donation it is appreciated so much, and of course never expected. Thank you all again for your support!
On July 30, 2020 our worlds were turned upside down when Teresa had a seizure in her car while stopped in a drive thru. She fractured several ribs, as well as other injuries, but when her CT & MRI came back it was discovered that she had a mass in her brain. She was taken to a nearby hospital with a nuero team and given another mri and told she would need a craniotomy as soon as possible to remove the brain tumor. On August 3rd Teresa had her first craniotomy. Throughout her entire hospital stay, until discharge she had to be alone due to covid restrictions, except for 15 minutes before surgery when her husband Bob was allowed to see her before being taken back. Teresa was so brave and positive throughout this experience.
On August 15, after the longest two week wait, the biopsy results came back as a diagnosis of Glioblastoma, a very aggressive terminal brain cancer. Teresa said on that day that she was determined to fight with all her might and beat the statistics and that is exactly what she has bravely been doing since. After another hospitalization at the end of August for a Pulmonary Embolism Teresa began treatment. Starting September 2nd Teresa began 6 weeks of daily chemo, a bi-weekly IV chemo infusion, and daily (M-F) radiation treatments. This treatment is very intense and comes with multiple medications and side effects, but Teresa stayed strong and positive throughout and received some clear mri scans.
In January, an mri showed what appeared to be a second tumor growing. A March mri confirmed the second tumor. In April, Teresa travelled to Duke University to the Preston Robert Tisch Brain Tumor Center and was found eligible for a new clinical trial and after much prayer and consideration decided to take the opportunity and continue to throw everything she has at this cancer.
On April 14 Teresa underwent her second craniotomy in less than a year and had a biopsy (confirmed the tumor was GBM) and had a catheter placed directly into the brain tumor. On April 15, Teresa received a 6 hour infusion of a modified Polio Virus. The goal is that the immune system will go into overdrive and attack the tumor.
Now Teresa will be travelling to Duke every 3 weeks for Keytruda infusions and MRIs. This requires a 6 hour drive and hotel stay and is a very exhausting experience for mom.
This extensive treatment and hospitalizations have come with many medical bills, and going forward will continue to come with medical bills, in addition to monthly travel expenses for hotel stays, transportation, etc...
We cannot thank everyone enough for all of the support Teresa and family have received up to this point and going forward. All of the words of encouragement, prayers, food drop offs, gift cards, and other gifts have meant the world to Teresa and her family. If you feel inclined to gift a monetary donation it is appreciated so much, and of course never expected. Thank you all again for your support!
Co-organizers (4)
Liann Millikan
Organizer
Fayetteville, GA
Teresa Shaffer
Beneficiary
Hannah Dobbs
Co-organizer
Candace Coker
Co-organizer
Alyssa Shaffer
Co-organizer