Cancer-A real pain in the neck!

Our dear mother Vickie Simonelli was recently diagnosed with Stage 4 Squamous Cell Carcinoma Cancer (i.e., head and neck cancer). She recently underwent a biopsy in September to confirm her diagnosis and treatment plan.  The treatment plan entails undergoing a rigorous amount of radiation to her neck and three rounds of chemotherapy. We anticipate that she will not be able to work throughout her treatment due to the harsh combined side effects of chemotherapy and radiation.

Unfortunately, her place of employment does not provide disability coverage and her income is dependent on the shifts she works each day. Even though she has insurance, many of her medical expenses will not be covered. As we all know, cancer treatment is very expensive. We do not want worries about money to be at the forefront of her mind: her focus should be on staying strong through treatment. 

For those of you who know Vickie, you know that she is an extraordinary human being. She is cheerful, loving, compassionate and remarkably strong. She always puts her family and friends before herself. She is one of the strongest, most selfless people we know, and we are fortunate to call her our mom and our rock. She is always there to give her love and support to the people around her. She is the kind of woman that would willingly give the shirt off her back to anyone who needs it.

It’s now time for us to come together for Vickie… a time when she needs it most.  Any donations will be greatly appreciated.  Even if you’re unable to donate, the most important thing is to surround her with love and light so that she can focus on beating this!

Thank you from the bottom of our hearts.

With love,
Vickie's children,
Patrick, Sean, Shannon and Samantha