Help Layne Berry Fight Cancer
Layne Berry, Tom Berry's daughter, is currently undergoing treatment for Stage IV Lymphoma. She is a graduate of Episcopal High School and currently a student at UVA.
Good news is that lymphoma is treatable, and her odds of beating the disease are high. Bad news is that her cancer is stage 4, so treatment will be aggressive. I can't image what Layne is going through right now.
Mr. Berry and his wife have a lot on their plate. It's hard to shower, get decent meals, go to work, and tend to your own needs during times like these. Not to mention the medical costs for cancer are super high! On average, the cost for lymphoma treatment is 10,000 a month. Layne will also have reoccuring medical costs at minimum for the next five years, as she will have to follow-up with her oncologist after she beats the cancer.
Mr. Berry is an amazing teacher and someone who truly cares for his students. He would message me now and then after graduation, and I know he kept in touch regularly with other students. Let's help out the best BC Calculus teacher the world has ever seen.
I will continue to update this page with information/wishlist items requested by the Berry family.
If you want to learn more about lymphoma, here is a good overview:
https://www.health.harvard.edu/cancer/lymphoma-overview
******************UPDATE 5/4/2018*******************
GoFundMe has requested I add additional information in terms of who I am, my relationship to the Berrys, and clarification on where the money is going and how it is being withdrawn. This is to ensure total campaign transparency and for GoFundMe to be able to release the funds to the Berry family.
1. My name is Barbara Bai, EHS '08, Tufts '12, currently a healthcare policy researcher at Harvard Medical School in Boston, MA.
2. I am a former student of Mr. Berry's. He taught me BC Calculus at Episcopal High School in Alexandria, Virginia ("EHS"). I credit him, among other teachers, for shaping me into the person that I am today. I did not know Layne very well, as she was in elementary school when I was a student at EHS, but this family is very near and dear to my heart.
3. Tom Berry is the sole beneficiary of the funds. As the organizer of the campaign, I do not have access to withdrawing any of the money that is being donated.
4. All funds raised in this campaign will be used for expenses incurred during Layne's cancer treatment. This includes but is not limited to: any or all medical bills not covered by insurance, meal delivery services, travel/lodging expenses, miscellanious gifts, etc. This money will be set aside in a separate bank account, as indicated by Tom Berry to me, the campaign organizer.
5. For the purposes of this campaign, Layne's cancer treatment is defined as the five year period from May 2018-May 2023 where Layne will be receiving treatment and undergoing follow up appointments related to her Stage IV Lymphoma.
6. GoFundMe's payment processor(s) will be receiving 2.9% and $0.3 for each donation. GoFundMe does not take a cut of the donation. Instead, it requests tips from each donor. As a donor, you have the authority to request a refund from GoFundMe at any time.
