Help Tracey Conquer Cancer

On November 22, 2019, my sister, Tracey, underwent surgery to remove a growth on her tongue that she’d suffered with for two years. The procedure was expected to be minorly invasive, but while Tracey was under anesthesia the doctors discovered they had to remove far more than they anticipated. She woke that night, devastated to discover a quarter of her tongue had been taken out, and we would all come to find out that it was only the beginning of a harrowing experience.  

For two whole years, Tracey searched for answers from multiple doctors and an ENT specialist. They, too, had biopsied the growth but could not provide her with a diagnosis. At the end of her rope, desperate and in pain, Tracey traveled to Johns Hopkins where she was finally diagnosed. But the sad truth remains that those two years were precious time wasted during which her condition only advanced. Unfortunately, the results from the biopsy at Johns Hopkins on November 22nd concluded that the growth on her tongue was stage 3 Squamous Cell Carcinoma. 
 
One could only imagine how difficult it has been to function after such an invasive procedure. Tracey was unable to work for a couple weeks but, has since gone back and is currently participating in speech therapy to strengthen and regain her full abilities. However, she isn’t out of the woods yet. Tracey and her family will need all the help she can get while she and her family are staring down this tremendous hardship. 
 
This week Tracey goes back to Johns Hopkins for a biopsy of her lymph nodes. This will give her oncology team a more well -rounded understanding of what they’re dealing with.  Her doctors have already determined that she will need 6-8 weeks of radiation, 5 days a week at bare minimum. These treatments will leave her incapacitated and unable to work at all. Due to the extended leave of absence from her job as a teacher, the lack of short- term disability benefits offered by the state of Maryland and the unfortunate fact that her husband has been unemployed for the past 6 months, she and her family are heading into a vast financial void that I hope we can all help her to fill. 
 
It is hard for most of us to imagine ourselves in this situation, and I hope none of us ever have to. As Tracey and her family adjust to their new normal, they are faced with the harsh reality of the cost of cancer, not just physically and emotionally, but financially as well. Radiation alone is thousands of dollars, some of which is not always covered by insurance companies, and that doesn’t even include any supplemental medications that may be prescribed along the way. Then, factoring in long commutes to the hospital every day, food, gas, basic household expenses and given that the family will have no income, I know they will have a long, hard road ahead of them. 
 
For those of you who know my sister, you know that she is an amazing, hard-working, extraordinary human being. She is a loving and supportive wife and an incredible, top-notch mother to her 3 beautiful children. Her family is her everything and together they have faced so many challenges, especially over the last couple years. They will face this together too, but it doesn’t mean they don’t need our help. ANY contribution to this cause would not only mean the world to Tracey and her family, but it would mean the world to me, as well. No amount is too small to help a family in need, and if you are unable to donate, please share and spread the word. She is the strongest person I know, so let’s show her all the love and support that we can to help her fight the toughest fight of her life! 
 
Thank you very much for any support you can give!!