#FightlikeaDee
Donation protected
The Brave Face of a Broken Spirit, a fund to help my sister and her children.
2015
Dee was a single mother of 4 living in her parents basement when she was diagnosed with an aggressive form of breast cancer.
2016
After a long fight, a double mastectomy, & reconstructive surgery she was cancer free.
2017
As soon as she could she returned to work where she did what she loved taking care of the elderly and sick as a CNA. She worked harder than ever and finally put together enough money to buy a house and move her and her kids into a place of their very own after 6 long years in her parents basement.
It’s a small home that needs lots of TLC but it’s also her the kids dream come true.
2018
On father’s day Dee had been having back pain so off to the ER we went, well that visit lasted over a week and sent her right back to the Oncology ward....What we thought was a pulled muscle was actually fractures in her back caused by cancer in her bones, her breast cancer metastasized and spread throughout her body.
Our world was crushed once again.
THEM
Dee is my sister, she is a beautiful 43 yr old mother of four. 1 boy, Mark age 19. He is the oldest and since his mom hasn’t been able to work since the diagnosis, he is working construction trying to help make ends meet & taking a couple classes at a community college. Hailey is her oldest girl age 17. She is a SR in high school taking AP classes but instead of filling out college applications she is sticking close home, working, and trying to help as well. Trinity is 16, she is a JR and is currently looking for a job too. Arionna is the youngest & is only 10 she is plagued with severe migraines that induce sickness & vomiting. The doctors think it’s a chemical imbalance but have yet to find the reason (or cure).
BILLS
The medical bills are piling up fast, the house is in shambles due to projects that had to be put on hold for now due to lack of money. She cannot work and her future is unsure.
We are doing everything we can to make sure they don’t lose their home. She has worked to hard to provide a place they can call home. I don’t want her children to give up on their lives because they were forced to be adults at to young of an age because of this awful disease.
I want to start this fund for them, for everything from home & car repairs, medical bills and medicine, to food, clothing and basic living necessities. And although I hate to say it funeral costs. We are not sure what this disease will do or how long she will keep up the fight but realistically she does have a stage 4 cancer which has no cure and need to be looking ahead.
Don’t judge a book by its cover
I think that’s how the saying goes, to an outsider my sister might look”normal” or “healthy” people tell me all the time “she doesn’t look sick” but that’s just the face a strong mom makes so her children don’t realize her world is crumbling down around her.
THE DISEASE
She has stage 4 metestatic breast cancer. It is in her spine and caused fractures to her back, it is also in her brain, lungs, arm, leg, and liver.
THE TREATMENT
She is working with a great team and hospital she has already started chemo infusions and also is getting a separate infusion of a bone strengthening drug. We are keeping our fingers crossed that when they re-check her after the fourth round that it will show the drugs are helping her fight. Although there is no cure for her type of cancer there is always treatments to prolong her life as long as she can fight.
I know this family has a lot of fight left in them and would do what ever it takes, but it would be nice to be able to relieve them of some of the stress and burden this awful thing has brought upon them.
My original statement when I first started this fund back in 2015 is below. Although we are completely grateful to everyone who donated before, I was only able to raise $600. So now I am asking again for everyone to reach down into their hearts and help me help my sister and her children.
***********************************************
Hello, I am Nena Enriquez and recently my sister Dee Dee Szymanski(Shoup) was diagnosed with Stage 3 Breast Cancer, she is a divorcee raising 4 beautiful children ages 7-16 on her own. All while living in our parents basement.
She is currently working as a CNA caring for elderly at a nursing home & her insurance is State provided since she cannot afford it on her pay.
She found a lump in her breast almost 5 months ago, but only recently got approved for the neccessary testing to show what it was. Since then it has grown and spread out into other areas of the breast and we are currently waiting on testing to see if it has spread to other parts of her body. Needless to say she has lost a lot of valuable time already.
It comes to this, she doesn't have much as it is and I will do everything I can for her and her children, but my husband recently lost his job and my parents live off of social security, so as you can see things are already tight.
I am raising money to help pay for her medical bills and things she will need, also all of her childrens neccessities as they deal with this difficult time.
I am only adding a goal because I have to, every little bit helps and every little bit is appreciated greatly as I look at what it is going to cost to keep this family going as they are literally fighting for a life.
I will update her progress as often as I can.
I love her, she is a part of me...she is a great mom, awesome sister, out going and loves to laugh, which is why it breaks my heart to see this happening to her and her children.
Thank you from the bottom of my heart and God bless you!
Nena
2015
Dee was a single mother of 4 living in her parents basement when she was diagnosed with an aggressive form of breast cancer.
2016
After a long fight, a double mastectomy, & reconstructive surgery she was cancer free.
2017
As soon as she could she returned to work where she did what she loved taking care of the elderly and sick as a CNA. She worked harder than ever and finally put together enough money to buy a house and move her and her kids into a place of their very own after 6 long years in her parents basement.
It’s a small home that needs lots of TLC but it’s also her the kids dream come true.
2018
On father’s day Dee had been having back pain so off to the ER we went, well that visit lasted over a week and sent her right back to the Oncology ward....What we thought was a pulled muscle was actually fractures in her back caused by cancer in her bones, her breast cancer metastasized and spread throughout her body.
Our world was crushed once again.
THEM
Dee is my sister, she is a beautiful 43 yr old mother of four. 1 boy, Mark age 19. He is the oldest and since his mom hasn’t been able to work since the diagnosis, he is working construction trying to help make ends meet & taking a couple classes at a community college. Hailey is her oldest girl age 17. She is a SR in high school taking AP classes but instead of filling out college applications she is sticking close home, working, and trying to help as well. Trinity is 16, she is a JR and is currently looking for a job too. Arionna is the youngest & is only 10 she is plagued with severe migraines that induce sickness & vomiting. The doctors think it’s a chemical imbalance but have yet to find the reason (or cure).
BILLS
The medical bills are piling up fast, the house is in shambles due to projects that had to be put on hold for now due to lack of money. She cannot work and her future is unsure.
We are doing everything we can to make sure they don’t lose their home. She has worked to hard to provide a place they can call home. I don’t want her children to give up on their lives because they were forced to be adults at to young of an age because of this awful disease.
I want to start this fund for them, for everything from home & car repairs, medical bills and medicine, to food, clothing and basic living necessities. And although I hate to say it funeral costs. We are not sure what this disease will do or how long she will keep up the fight but realistically she does have a stage 4 cancer which has no cure and need to be looking ahead.
Don’t judge a book by its cover
I think that’s how the saying goes, to an outsider my sister might look”normal” or “healthy” people tell me all the time “she doesn’t look sick” but that’s just the face a strong mom makes so her children don’t realize her world is crumbling down around her.
THE DISEASE
She has stage 4 metestatic breast cancer. It is in her spine and caused fractures to her back, it is also in her brain, lungs, arm, leg, and liver.
THE TREATMENT
She is working with a great team and hospital she has already started chemo infusions and also is getting a separate infusion of a bone strengthening drug. We are keeping our fingers crossed that when they re-check her after the fourth round that it will show the drugs are helping her fight. Although there is no cure for her type of cancer there is always treatments to prolong her life as long as she can fight.
I know this family has a lot of fight left in them and would do what ever it takes, but it would be nice to be able to relieve them of some of the stress and burden this awful thing has brought upon them.
My original statement when I first started this fund back in 2015 is below. Although we are completely grateful to everyone who donated before, I was only able to raise $600. So now I am asking again for everyone to reach down into their hearts and help me help my sister and her children.
***********************************************
Hello, I am Nena Enriquez and recently my sister Dee Dee Szymanski(Shoup) was diagnosed with Stage 3 Breast Cancer, she is a divorcee raising 4 beautiful children ages 7-16 on her own. All while living in our parents basement.
She is currently working as a CNA caring for elderly at a nursing home & her insurance is State provided since she cannot afford it on her pay.
She found a lump in her breast almost 5 months ago, but only recently got approved for the neccessary testing to show what it was. Since then it has grown and spread out into other areas of the breast and we are currently waiting on testing to see if it has spread to other parts of her body. Needless to say she has lost a lot of valuable time already.
It comes to this, she doesn't have much as it is and I will do everything I can for her and her children, but my husband recently lost his job and my parents live off of social security, so as you can see things are already tight.
I am raising money to help pay for her medical bills and things she will need, also all of her childrens neccessities as they deal with this difficult time.
I am only adding a goal because I have to, every little bit helps and every little bit is appreciated greatly as I look at what it is going to cost to keep this family going as they are literally fighting for a life.
I will update her progress as often as I can.
I love her, she is a part of me...she is a great mom, awesome sister, out going and loves to laugh, which is why it breaks my heart to see this happening to her and her children.
Thank you from the bottom of my heart and God bless you!
Nena
Organizer
Nena Szymanski Enriquez
Organizer
Crystal Lake, IL
