Cancer patient

Dear Cancer Angels,

I would like to introduce you to my cousin Colleen McAllister Cassidy. She is a God-fearing woman, who is a daughter, sister, mother, friend, cousin, aunt, wife, and a teacher. She has committed her life to all of those she loves.

Colleen grew up in College Point, NY with 3 brothers and a sister. She is the baby of the family yet had taken on the responsibility for the caring of her aging and ill parents before their passing.

Following homeownership, her husband Ray had a very bad accident that left him with permanent brain damage forcing him into a nursing home for the rest of his life. Colleen was left to continue raising their 2 children Michael 15 years old and Marykate 13 years old. Colleen had become the soul support and breadwinner in the home putting both children though Catholic primary school and high school then on to college.

Colleen has now able to start caring for her own health. First stop was her PCP then to her very first colonoscopy. After all her prep, she was told she had a large cancerous mass and would need to have chemo to shrink it so it could be removed. After several months of chemo, the mass could be removed and a colostomy bag was put in place. She was told there was a growth outside the pelvic lining, and she would need to have radiation after chemo for 8 weeks 5 days a week. The colostomy bag was subsequently removed, all the while she was suffering with severe back pain, her doctors ordered an MRI. Only to find out she had several back fractures which needed Kyphoplasty surgery.

Colleen is now losing hope, time from work and all the costs associated with all the treatments.

How Colleen can continue on this way losing time from work and all the bills pilling up and home repairs undone is only do to her faith in God.

Colleen is not only my cousin, she Is one of the best friends I have. It would mean the world to me if anyone reading this could find it in your heart to help this wonderful woman continue to find joy, hope and love in her life.

Yours very truly,

Cousin Trish