Thea Wendeborn Bove

In August, my sister was admitted into the hospital with abdominal pain and quickly diagnosed with pancreatitis. Unfortunately, the scans revealed a mass on her pancreas and veins, resulting in a diagnosis of pancreatic cancer, stage 3. Since receiving the diagnosis, Thea made her first trip to Mayo Clinic in Minnesota, in September. Once there, she underwent emergency surgery to have a stent placed in her bile duct, chemo port inserted and had numerous scans done. She has thus far completed a few rounds of chemo (fulfirinox), which is a 3 day pump infusion. She has chemo every other week. She has already accumulated extensive medical bills, even with insurance. Thea's journey will bring her back to Mayo Clinic in December for another round of testing, to determine when surgery the "Whipple" can take place. This surgery is the standard of care, to remove the pancreas. This is major surgery, and due to the tumor being wrapped around veins, it will be a minimum of 10 to 14 hours. She will be in ICU, for approximately 7 to 14 days. Thea will need to remain close to the hospital for another 2 to 3 weeks, as her surgeon wants her close by, incase of any unforeseen circumstances. It's a long road to recovery ahead. She continues to show immense strength in her determination to fight and beat this disease. During this difficult time, we are hoping to support the family financially to help with medical bills, as well as travel and hotel accommodations. Thea is a mother of 4, and her oldest son is disabled, and she is his main caregiver. She adores her grandchildren and assist in caring for them as well. She wants nothing more to beat this cancer, and watch her grandchildren grow. Anything helps and is so deeply appreciated.