We Are here to fight With You, We Are TEAM KELLY

Hi, my name is Chris, Michele and I are organizing this fundraiser on behalf of Kelly.

I first came to know Michele because she is the foster Mom to my second favorite son, Dexter, the Brown Dog. From the beginning Dexter and Michele were family and then I experienced Kelly… OOO LA LA. As any who’s on this page already knows, she is one of a kind. A 5 foot nothing Tour De Force. Her drive and passion are unrelenting. Between work and always running a project or another, She never takes time off, sometimes nary and hour. I guess because she never sleeps. She’s my “mon petit chou” and I love her.

In May Kelly was diagnosed with High Grade B-Cell Follicular Lymphoma stage 2, it’s a secondary cancer.

In 2021 Kelly was diagnosed with Head and Neck cancer, the road to diagnosis was a tough one, after having COVID, Kelly had a sore throat, a persistent cough and one maddening earache for almost a year, her doctor kept treating her with antibiotics, she decided to go see an ENT. 

Kelly had a very large tumor on right tonsil. She had surgery right away, a Tonsillectomy,  the pathology report came back Tonsil Cancer.

She started treatment right away, 35 radiations to the head and neck, Monday through Friday for 7 weeks along with 7 weeks of chemo. Kelly stayed positive, focused on her radiation countdown and trusting her doctors.

She really went through hell, she was hospitalized the first time just 10 days into treatment. 

She lost her ability to swallow, therefore she couldn’t eat, she had a feeding tube for 5 1/2 months , eventually she couldn’t even open a bottle of water to feed herself and  the pain became so intolerable she wasn’t able to speak.

‘If anyone knows Kelly, you know this girl likes to talk.

Throughout this grueling process, Kelly’s remarkable spirit and resilience have shone through. We’ve all watched as she’s cracked jokes and somehow maintained her sunny, light-hearted disposition despite what she was facing.  Kelly made it through with a showdown of love and support from everyone. 

Kelly’s treatment cost over $1 million, she is one grateful, humble, wonderful human being.

She was told a secondary cancer was probable after so many radiations to the head, she just didn’t think it would  be so soon.

The journey ahead will be challenging, her treatment consists of Rituxan and 3 chemo on the same day, the first one The Red Devil, Rituxan infusion is vital to her treatment but also with many serious  reactions, and it can be lethal, she will be doing her treatment in the hospital, her oncologist have started her on 4 rounds of treatment to see if she reacts to it. Sadly,  Kelly’s cancer is treatable, but not curable.

She’s ready to fight, but she needs our help: Cancer is physically, emotionally and financially devastating. 

Every donation, thought or prayer will help ease the burden on Kelly. 

I think that what’s incredibly important to remember in this next chapter of Kelly’s life is that she needs to focus on getting better, and that Michele, Stephanie and all of us are a team, Team Kelly.  I am certain that we will do all it is possible to help her win this fight and get her to ring that bell a second time,

We ask you kindly for your support, Please give what you can and share this post, Kelly asks that you keep her in your prayers.

Thank You in advance for your generosity and support.

Chris, Michele and brown dog Dexter.