Healing Mom
Donation protected
7 years ago, my amazing mother went to the doctor with what she assumed was a skin iritation behind her ear, and came away potentially diagnosed with cancer. They weren't sure what is was, tests were inconclusive, so they suggested she have it removed and sent out for futher testing and diagnosis. She went forward with the surgery, and had the growth removed and sent out for a biopsy.
The first diagnosis was lymphoma, but after the sample was sent out to research hospitals all over the country, there wasn't one diagnosis the doctors could agree on, and things became frustrating and confusing. The second concrete diagnosis she recived from her doctor at the time, told her it was a benign form of neurothekioma. This diganosis came as a relief, and for a couple years things were quiet. Then in 2013 it returned in a different area and appeared to look slightly different. More tests were taken, this time with a frightening diagnosis. She was told it was epithelial angio-sarcoma, a rare blood and soft tissue cancer, and she was given 5 years to live. Due to the rarity of this type of cancer, advice for the best treatment plan was inconsistent, and to add insult to injury, not every doctor she was working with agreed on the diagnosis or form of treatment. Her primary oncologist referred her to a surgeon at the University of Miami who advised another surgery, this time removing a large part of her face, and risking losing feeling and control of her face muscles entirely. Mom remembers feeling a sense of peace and calmness during that doctor's visit, and her instincts were to move forward with a more holistic and alternative approach to treatment, so this is the path she took. Over the next couple years, my parents have invested over $80,000 on alternarive treatments, including a month long stay at an alternative cancer treatment center in Santa Barbara, California, where they confirmed the angio-sarcoma diagnosis. Unfortunately, since May of 2016, the cancer has been becoming more an more aggressive and has started to move to other parts of her face and scalp. Even more unsettling, a few weeks ago the site became so infected, she had to spend a week in the hospital on IV drip antibiotics, with another follow up 10 days on IV antiboitics at home. The doctors at the wound care center have told her the area where the infection was, will probably never heal due to the cancerous tissue surrounding it.
We are not losing hope! There are a few treatment options remaining for Mom, however all are extremely expensive and will most likely not be covered under her health insurance due to their alternative nature. The most promising of these treatments is an alternative bone marrow stem cell treatment. This treatment is done at the South Florida Bone Marrow/Stem Cell Treatment Center in Boynton Beach, Florida. This appears to be her best chance at surving and beating this dreadful disease. The cost of this procedure, which may need to be done several times, could grow to over $100,000, a number far beyond our family's reach as far as what we can afford.
So I am reaching out into the world for help. Any amount, big or small will make a difference. Please consider donating, and/or sharing Mom's story!
A note about my mom if you don't know her: My beautiful mother has spent her entire life, even before having kids, dedicated to helping others. If she met resistance in her endeavors, she always found a way. She never gave up. Her determination and love for her family has been unfaltering. I could never repay her for the amazing mother she has been, I just hope to be at least half as strong of a woman as she is. I can not express enough how much she deserves this opportunity!
Warning: Graphic image at the end of the photos of Mom's current physical state and what the infection has done. :(
The first diagnosis was lymphoma, but after the sample was sent out to research hospitals all over the country, there wasn't one diagnosis the doctors could agree on, and things became frustrating and confusing. The second concrete diagnosis she recived from her doctor at the time, told her it was a benign form of neurothekioma. This diganosis came as a relief, and for a couple years things were quiet. Then in 2013 it returned in a different area and appeared to look slightly different. More tests were taken, this time with a frightening diagnosis. She was told it was epithelial angio-sarcoma, a rare blood and soft tissue cancer, and she was given 5 years to live. Due to the rarity of this type of cancer, advice for the best treatment plan was inconsistent, and to add insult to injury, not every doctor she was working with agreed on the diagnosis or form of treatment. Her primary oncologist referred her to a surgeon at the University of Miami who advised another surgery, this time removing a large part of her face, and risking losing feeling and control of her face muscles entirely. Mom remembers feeling a sense of peace and calmness during that doctor's visit, and her instincts were to move forward with a more holistic and alternative approach to treatment, so this is the path she took. Over the next couple years, my parents have invested over $80,000 on alternarive treatments, including a month long stay at an alternative cancer treatment center in Santa Barbara, California, where they confirmed the angio-sarcoma diagnosis. Unfortunately, since May of 2016, the cancer has been becoming more an more aggressive and has started to move to other parts of her face and scalp. Even more unsettling, a few weeks ago the site became so infected, she had to spend a week in the hospital on IV drip antibiotics, with another follow up 10 days on IV antiboitics at home. The doctors at the wound care center have told her the area where the infection was, will probably never heal due to the cancerous tissue surrounding it.
We are not losing hope! There are a few treatment options remaining for Mom, however all are extremely expensive and will most likely not be covered under her health insurance due to their alternative nature. The most promising of these treatments is an alternative bone marrow stem cell treatment. This treatment is done at the South Florida Bone Marrow/Stem Cell Treatment Center in Boynton Beach, Florida. This appears to be her best chance at surving and beating this dreadful disease. The cost of this procedure, which may need to be done several times, could grow to over $100,000, a number far beyond our family's reach as far as what we can afford.
So I am reaching out into the world for help. Any amount, big or small will make a difference. Please consider donating, and/or sharing Mom's story!
A note about my mom if you don't know her: My beautiful mother has spent her entire life, even before having kids, dedicated to helping others. If she met resistance in her endeavors, she always found a way. She never gave up. Her determination and love for her family has been unfaltering. I could never repay her for the amazing mother she has been, I just hope to be at least half as strong of a woman as she is. I can not express enough how much she deserves this opportunity!
Warning: Graphic image at the end of the photos of Mom's current physical state and what the infection has done. :(
Organizer and beneficiary
Christa Sapita
Organizer
Suisun, CA
Karen Sapita
Beneficiary