Tracy Zappella’s Cancer Fund

Hi everyone, my name is Kilia Lewerenz and I’m asking for support for my beautiful mom, Tracy Zappella. As most of you know she’s been recently blindsided with stage 4 basaloid squamous cell carcinoma, a very aggressive and rare form of cancer. We’ve started this page in the hopes to raise money for her lifesaving and necessary current and future treatment.

Some background on her diagnosis:

After months of facial pain, my mom went to a doctor that finally (by Gods hand!!!) ordered a CT scan which found a tumor. After a few nerve wreacking days, an MRI showed that she had a 4cm tumor in her nasal cavity and was confirmed cancer by a biopsy days later. Head and neck cancers only account for 4% of ALL cancers. That’s how rare this is.

The blessing is that it is staged high because of the size and not because it has spread (praise Jesus). With the diagnosis they started her chemotherapy immediately. They will do two more rounds before they assess whether they can move on to radiation or continue with chemo. Each round she goes through five hours of chemo and then is sent home with a chemo pouch that continues to administer treatment to her for five more days. When she moves on to radiation it’ll be five days a week for around seven weeks.

My dad, who is also a physician, my step mom along side her oncologists and other respected professionals involved in her case, have highly recommended for my mom to do other treatments outside of chemo and radiation to boost her immunity and kill this cancer. This includes the treatment she will be seeking at Memorial Sloan Kettering in New York. These treatments will not be covered by insurance but will benefit her recovery greatly which is why this fund is so necessary.

My goal is to take the money out of her decision making when it comes to her treatment. We want the best of the best for her and considering the rarity of the cancer we know that’ll come with a cost.

Never in a million years did I think I would be writing an intro to a GoFundMe for my 49 year old Mother. This all has been incredibly humbling but I’m confident God is with us through this and this all is part of His plan.

We are incredibly grateful for everyone’s generosity through this. And I understand if you are unable to donate at this time. But we ask if you can share this page with anyone and everyone you know! We appreciate all and any donations! Above all else please keep my mom and my family in your prayers

Thank you,

Kilia Lewerenz