The gang gets back on their feet...and FU cancer!

My sister is battling cancer and she and her mom lost everything...

We all know how insanely difficult it is to get back on your feet after a setback. It’s even more challenging when life throws setback after setback your way. When we’re faced with such difficulty it can be really hard to ask for help.

That’s why I’m creating this campaign on behalf of my sister, Tina, and her mom, Donna. I know they would never ask for help, even when they need it most. 

We lost our father to cancer pretty abruptly two years ago. Which was tragic and heartbreaking. We could’ve never guessed what was to come. 

Not even a year later, our brother was diagnosed with stage four pancreatic cancer. He is still in the process of fighting this ugly disease. 

Shortly after, Donna survived a ruptured appendix which can actually lead to death in some cases. In Donna’s case the peritonitis quickly spread, resulting in septicemia, or bacteria in the blood. Your body releases chemicals into the bloodstream to fight this infection, triggering an inflammatory response throughout the body called sepsis. To the surprise of her doctor she survived this only to come home to a disaster. 

The home Tina and Donna rented was infested with black mold and in the process of trying to remove this mold, mites were released from under the floor boards and carpets. Unfortunately, they didn’t have a landlord who handled this properly. 

Instead, they lost everything other than a couple photographs and a keepsake or two. Not knowing where to turn and fighting homelessness, they did everything in their power to find a new place to live. Without much furniture or clothing, they are slowly trying to rebuild their lives in a new apartment. 

Shortly after moving in, Tina was diagnosed with breast cancer and ovarian cancer. She is now recovering at home from a radical mastectomy, which successfully eradicated her breast cancer. Once she finishes radiation and chemotherapy, her medical team will decide when she is ready to undergo a hysterectomy. We have a long and uncertain road ahead of us.

I can’t imagine the emotional, financial, and physical stress these two women are going through. If they weren’t so strong and determined to get through this chapter in their lives, I’m not sure where they would be right now. 

Tina is unable to work which leaves Donna, who is of retirement age, entirely financially responsible. If there is any help you can give, monetarily or with furniture or household supplies, it would make a huge impact on their lives.

These women need support, encouragement, love, and most importantly hope. The healing process is much easier when you have a comfortable living space and a bed to sleep in. I am working relentlessly to provide the basic necessities and working towards providing comfort. Please consider joining me. 

Thank you for your time and patience reading this. It’s not easy to share our private lives in an open forum. I can say that we are all grateful and humbled by these experiences. Any assistance you can offer is appreciated beyond words. Again, from the bottom of my heart, thank you.