Vinny & Carlene

Update: 

May 26, 2021:  Carlene has been an inpatient  at Oregon Health Sciences University, since 5/12/21, where she is in the midst of her Stem Cell Transplant procedure.  It has been rough, but she is persevering like a mighty warrioress! Teresa (fundraiser host) flew in from Utah and spent a night with Carlene at OHSU, then headed to Port Orford where she relieved a local friend of Carlene's who was staying with Vinny.  He is also marching on like a warrior! These two are inspirational!  The plan is to have them reunite in a couple of days at the home of another dear friend in Salem, where they will stay for a while.  PLEASE continue to keep Vinny and Carlene in your thoughts and prayers, and share this fundraiser on your social-media pages.  The expenses are racking up!

April 27, 2021:

Friends,  if you have donated to this fundraiser and received a notice  from GoFundMe via email that states your donation is going to be refunded,  please disregard.  While troubling, GFM explains on their Help Center page that this is an "inconvenience" generated by a glitch in
their system.   Though this has nothing to do with the hosts of this fundraiser, please accept our apology.  We also want to apologize to Vinny and Carlene who received an email stating that all the funds donated thus far were going to be returned to the donors which, again, was generated by a glitch in the system.  Needless to say, this was very distressing to them (which is the VERY LAST thing they needed during this very difficult and already stressful time).

Please remember that GoFundMe is not the only way to donate to Vinny and Carlene.  Here are some other avenues to choose from:

OTHER WAYS TO DONATE:

Rogue Credit Union,  PO Box 4550,  Medford, OR 97501

Make check payable to the order of:  Carlene Armi

Memo Comment: Donations Account

VENMO: @carlene-armi

UPDATE 4/16/21:

Hello Folks, thank you for hanging in there with us.  Vinny and Carlene are very grateful for the donations received thus far.   Please continue to share this GoFundMe on your social media pages and in emails to your friends and family members who might want to help.  Every little bit counts--$5, $10, $15, or $20 will do SO MUCH for this young man and his mother. To bypass donating via this page, scroll down to the UPDATE on 11/30/20 for other methods of donation.

Currently, Carlene is experiencing quite a bit of pain and fatigue.  Still, she remains optimistic!  She has completed the rounds of chemo that have been prescribe by her oncologist, thus far.  She is now preparing, emotionally and physically, for Autologous Stem Cell Transplantation procedures which will begin in mid-May.  This will be intense in a number of ways.  The treatment will take place at Oregon Health and Sciences University in Portland (not Houston which was her initial goal). This will be quite a road trip for Carlene and Vinny.  Fortunately, their dear friend, Jeannie (and family), have offered them a place to stay in their Salem home.  And Teresa (co-host of this fundraiser) will be traveling from Utah to provide support and care.  Of course, during some of this time, Carlene will remain in inpatient isolation.  Needless to say, this will be challenging for both mother and son.  Please keep them in your thoughts and/or prayers as they endure this very tough time. 

UPDATE 2/23/21:  Carlene begins her 3rd round of chemo treatments today.  She is doing pretty much as well as can be expected--which is a Godsend. The tumors continue to shrink.  As a result, she is able to move more freely.  Though she is still in pain, it has reduced significantly. 

She consulted with Dr.  Richard T. Maziarz at OHSU's Knight Cancer Institute. (Portland, OR). The plan in the near future, is that  Carlene  will travel to Portland, first, for  harvesting of her stem cells.  That will be followed with a 2 week stay in the hospital where she will have 2 days of another type of chemotherapy, then a stem cell transplant.   We do not yet know what the out-of-pocket expenses of this will come to, but it will be $5000 - $10,000 or more.  Vinny and the dogs will travel with her.  Their hope is to find a dog-friendly Air BnB nearby.  Carlene's sister and/or Teresa (co-manager of this GoFundMe) will be with them during that time.  None of this has been scheduled, yet, but we are guessing it will be sometime this Spring. 

Art by Vinny is kind of at a standstill.  We hope and pray, every day, that someone will step up to help with funding and operations.  Donations to this Fundraiser will go to either Carlene's medical expenses, or Vinny's business.  Thank you so much for your continued support, Friends.  Every donation is greatly appreciated.  Carlene and Vinny are heartened by your efforts to share the fundraiser, too.  Donations can also be made via Venmo and the US Postal Service (details below).

Please keep your thoughts and prayers going for this wonderful mother and her son. 

UPDATE 1/30/21:   Well, even in the midst of cancer treatment, time flies (sort of).  After some Radiation Therapy, Carleen moved on to chemotherapy and just wrapped up her first 21-day round.  This means she is 1/3 of the way through chemo, and the good news is, as Carlene puts it, "it's working!"  Some of those tumors are shrinking, and she is in much less pain as a result.  Phew!  Walking and being up and around is difficult for her.   All of her reserves are being used to process the treatments and their side-effects.  The pandemic keeps her in isolation most of the time too.  She does have someone drop in to help with housework.  And friends and family are assisting with other things.  Vinny, too, is really stepping up!  We are hanging our hats on HOPE!

Thanks so much for your generous donations, Friends.  Please continue to share this Go Fund Me on your Social Media Pages and make sure folks know there are other ways to donate to this cause (Venmo, United States Postal Service...details below).  We are so grateful for the funds raised thus far but are quite a ways from our goal.  The Art by Vinny business is not going to run itself.  Prior to Christmas, we sent neckties to a very influential person and his team--in the hopes that he will want to step up and give Vinny's work a "shout-out."  We have not received a response as of yet, and are trying not to be discouraged.  Please keep Vinny and Carlene in your thoughts and prayers...and SHARE this fundraiser! 

UPDATE 12/27/20:  Today is Carlene's birthday.  This morning she said, "I'm just glad to have one."  She has begun the radiation treatments and appears to be getting a handle on pain management.  PLEASE, if you read this today, consider sharing this Go Fund Me today, on your social media pages or in emails to friends/family--in honor of Carlene's birthday.  Vinny is doing well in the midst of all of this.  Though, he has expressed concern for his mom.   ALSO, a VENMO account has been set up if you wish to donate that way: @carlene-armi.

UPDATE 12/16/20:  Carlene will begin treatments at a Cancer Center in Coos Bay--radiation, then chemo.  The goal, per her oncologist, is to move in the direction of a Stem Cell Transplant (for which she will need to travel).  This is going to be a rough road but there is HOPE.  Please consider sharing this fundraiser with others on your social media pages, every couple of weeks or so.  Thank you in advance.

UPDATE 12/9/20:  Carlene is hanging in there.  Has had biopsy and scans this week. Awaiting results to determine the course of treatment.  She is in quite a bit of pain but ever the optimist.  Her main concern is Vinny's well-being. 

UPDATE 11/30/20:  We so appreciate your generosity so far.  We know it is a difficult time for so many of you.  Yet, there is no donation too small.  Still, if you cannot donate, just passing this fundraiser on and/or getting the word out is incredibly helpful.  Also, if you want to donate via regular mail, you can send a check to: 

Rogue Credit Union,  PO Box 4550,  Medford, OR 97501

Make check payable to the order of:  Carlene Armi

Memo Comment: Donations Account

Vinny Armi and his mom, Carlene, have been inseparable since the day he was born.  Life has been challenging from the onset.  Yet, Carlene’s perpetual optimism has enabled them to navigate their cumbersome journey while experiencing life to the fullest in their small town of Port Orford, Oregon. Vinny, now 29-years-old, has an autism diagnosis.  Carlene is his full-time Care-Taker.  They live a quiet, simple life that has afforded Vinny the opportunity to love on his dogs, ride horses, and engage in his joy of drawing.  Together, Vinny and Carlene have set out to adapt Vinny’s love of art to a small business that will generate an income for him.  The idea has been to set him up with an income stream and prepare him for the day that his mom will no longer be able to care for him.  The process has been slow.  Now there is no time to waste.

Unfortunately, Carleen was recently diagnosed with Multiple Myeloma—a blood/bone cancer. While she continues to undergo tests, it is clear that she has had this for quite some time.  She is hoping her Health Care insurance will cover her care at Md Anderson Cancer Center in Houston, Texas.  In the meantime, she is focused on making plans for Vinny. 

Friends, Vinny and Carlene need your help.  Most importantly, Carlene needs funds so she can be ready to travel to Houston, for intensive treatment.  She may need help with housing, transportation, food, and supplies for daily living while there.  Vinny will probably stay in Oregon, with a family friend, or an aid.  Should her Health Care Insurance not approve of her to receive treatment in Texas, Carlene will remain in Oregon.  Still, she will lose her personal income and need to hire help for Vinny while in treatment and recovery.

Meanwhile, Carlene’s biggest concern is about Vinny’s future with or without her.  She desperately wants to fund his art business.  He needs help with creating items with his designs (go to www.artbyvinny.com to see what they’ve done so far), processing orders, packaging, and delivery.  This costs money up front.  It is an incredible idea that could set Vinny up for the rest of his life, if it comes to  fruition.

Any funds received that go beyond the expenses for Carlene’s cancer journey will go to Art by Vinny.

OTHER WAYS TO DONATE:

Rogue Credit Union,  PO Box 4550,  Medford, OR 97501

Make check payable to the order of:  Carlene Armi

Memo Comment: Donations Account

VENMO: @carlene-armi