THE FIGHT IS ON!
Donation protected
From the minute that my sister-in-law, Kristin Kelley, was diagnosed with stage 4 adrenal cancer, friends and relatives have been asking to let them know of any way that they can help. The thing is, we know that you really mean it. But it’s hard to ask for help...especially when something so devastating hits your family. And it’s hard to speak for someone going through something like this because you want to make sure that you tell their story in a way that accurately portrays what they are going through and how much they appreciate and love those reading this. I’m going to try.
Kristin is the payroll manager for the city of Coweta, OK. Her bosses have been fabulous to work with her... giving her the needed time off to go to battle. There will be a time when Kristin will likely not be able to work as we all know what a toll that chemo takes on the body. Her coworkers have been extremely supportive and the outpouring of love and prayers from our wonderful little community has been nothing short of amazing. Thank you all from the bottom of our hearts. Please, keep those prayers coming!
Her husband, William, and her children, Ryan and KayCee are of course her rocks, her reason for putting on those gloves and giving this fight all she has. Kristin’s parents, her sister, and of course William’s family, all add to her strong support system and, thankfully, live close to help her with the day to day things that will become tougher as she gets deeper into treatment. It’s certainly times like this that you know family and friends are your real blessing in life.
To give you a little information about the battle ahead for Kristin, the type of adrenal cancer that she is fighting is very rare and only affects less than 2 people in a million per year. Characteristics of this type of cancer presents itself most times (and as in Kristin’s case) after it has metastasized into other organs. Kristin thought her discomfort in her abdominal area was maybe acid reflux or a stomach ulcer...just a nuisance that she’d have to deal with. So did the doctor. After some tests ruling out certain things, they wanted to do a scope. On the day of the procedure, Kristin’s blood pressure was too high to do the scope. They decided to do an CT scan while they figured out how to get her blood pressure under control.
That’s when they identified a mass on one of her adrenal glands (which are located on top of the kidneys). After several blood tests and scans, and many tears, the diagnosis was Adrenal Cortical Cancer. The C word. We were all in shock. A week long trip to MD Anderson Medical Center in Houston confirmed that Kristin not only had stage 4 adrenal cancer but it had spread to her lungs, liver, and several places in her bone. One of the huge challenges she faces is controlling her extremely high blood pressure which is a huge concern and is also characteristic to this disease. They were told that there isn’t a cure at this point but they were going to try like hell to slow it down with heavy doses of chemo and would investigate other trial alternatives. What?! How could this happen to a vibrant, healthy, 44 year old woman who had virtually never had any health problems?! It just makes no sense at all.
The more we read and researched, the more we understood that there is no type of prevention for this type of cancer. It could happen to any of us at any time and does not like to give you any warning at all before it has spread to other organs. I’m sure that most of you reading this has had to deal with some type of cancer attacking someone in your own family or friends and you know the feeling of helplessness and just not knowing what to do. Simply heartbreaking. We all just want to help.
That’s why we decided to start a GO FUND ME account. I have donated to several accounts like this to raise money for various reasons...as I am sure that many of you have. Why not start one for Kristin? Even though Kristin and William have insurance, it will not nearly cover the out-of-pocket expenses that are associated with this disease and the travel expenses of traveling to MD Anderson in Houston for Dr. appointments, Pet scans and tests. That’s why, if you are financially able to donate, I know that Kristin and William will be forever grateful. If all you can do is to share this story on your social media, that would also mean the world to all of us. They need all the love and support that you have to offer and if you could keep them in your prayers, that would be HUGE. We know that GOD hasn’t run out of miracles and we are believing that Kristin will be blessed with one.
SO, KRISTIN, strap on those gloves and fight!! Show that C word just who it’s messing with! You have a big family, tons of friends, and a wonderful community pulling for you. YOU CAN DO THIS GIRL!! We love you and are right there with ya!
Kristin is the payroll manager for the city of Coweta, OK. Her bosses have been fabulous to work with her... giving her the needed time off to go to battle. There will be a time when Kristin will likely not be able to work as we all know what a toll that chemo takes on the body. Her coworkers have been extremely supportive and the outpouring of love and prayers from our wonderful little community has been nothing short of amazing. Thank you all from the bottom of our hearts. Please, keep those prayers coming!
Her husband, William, and her children, Ryan and KayCee are of course her rocks, her reason for putting on those gloves and giving this fight all she has. Kristin’s parents, her sister, and of course William’s family, all add to her strong support system and, thankfully, live close to help her with the day to day things that will become tougher as she gets deeper into treatment. It’s certainly times like this that you know family and friends are your real blessing in life.
To give you a little information about the battle ahead for Kristin, the type of adrenal cancer that she is fighting is very rare and only affects less than 2 people in a million per year. Characteristics of this type of cancer presents itself most times (and as in Kristin’s case) after it has metastasized into other organs. Kristin thought her discomfort in her abdominal area was maybe acid reflux or a stomach ulcer...just a nuisance that she’d have to deal with. So did the doctor. After some tests ruling out certain things, they wanted to do a scope. On the day of the procedure, Kristin’s blood pressure was too high to do the scope. They decided to do an CT scan while they figured out how to get her blood pressure under control.
That’s when they identified a mass on one of her adrenal glands (which are located on top of the kidneys). After several blood tests and scans, and many tears, the diagnosis was Adrenal Cortical Cancer. The C word. We were all in shock. A week long trip to MD Anderson Medical Center in Houston confirmed that Kristin not only had stage 4 adrenal cancer but it had spread to her lungs, liver, and several places in her bone. One of the huge challenges she faces is controlling her extremely high blood pressure which is a huge concern and is also characteristic to this disease. They were told that there isn’t a cure at this point but they were going to try like hell to slow it down with heavy doses of chemo and would investigate other trial alternatives. What?! How could this happen to a vibrant, healthy, 44 year old woman who had virtually never had any health problems?! It just makes no sense at all.
The more we read and researched, the more we understood that there is no type of prevention for this type of cancer. It could happen to any of us at any time and does not like to give you any warning at all before it has spread to other organs. I’m sure that most of you reading this has had to deal with some type of cancer attacking someone in your own family or friends and you know the feeling of helplessness and just not knowing what to do. Simply heartbreaking. We all just want to help.
That’s why we decided to start a GO FUND ME account. I have donated to several accounts like this to raise money for various reasons...as I am sure that many of you have. Why not start one for Kristin? Even though Kristin and William have insurance, it will not nearly cover the out-of-pocket expenses that are associated with this disease and the travel expenses of traveling to MD Anderson in Houston for Dr. appointments, Pet scans and tests. That’s why, if you are financially able to donate, I know that Kristin and William will be forever grateful. If all you can do is to share this story on your social media, that would also mean the world to all of us. They need all the love and support that you have to offer and if you could keep them in your prayers, that would be HUGE. We know that GOD hasn’t run out of miracles and we are believing that Kristin will be blessed with one.
SO, KRISTIN, strap on those gloves and fight!! Show that C word just who it’s messing with! You have a big family, tons of friends, and a wonderful community pulling for you. YOU CAN DO THIS GIRL!! We love you and are right there with ya!
Organiser and beneficiary
Denise Kelley
Organiser
Coweta, OK
William Kelley
Beneficiary
