I need this smile in my life...

This is for My Mother...

I'm on this site today because we just got The News; it's Malignant...your mom has Orbital Lymphoma.  

In the span of 72 hours a lot happened. My mom's 2nd opinion on a mass in her eye ended up being a tumor. That tumor ended up being malignant. Your mom has Cancer...You must take your mom home with you...money...bills...chemo, all this is playing in the back of my mind. The morning after the diagnosis is when the panic attacks started. I felt so alone; the emotional and the financial stress all hit me at once. It was the first time I wondered how much medicare would help, knowing medicaid turned us away because of $80.00. :( 

I'm also writing today because the most important thing I learned in those 72 hours was that we can't do this alone.

My mom has Polycystic Kidney Disease; which means she had to be on dialysis to keep kidney function. She had to do dialysis sessions 3 times every week, for 3 hours each time, in the span of 8 years. I don't expect the side effects of dialysis and the medication to be too far off from Chemotherapy. It's pretty awful.

We received a blessing, the day we got the call saying we got a kidney. Unfortunately, the kidney failed and we were back on the list and back on dialysis within a  couple months. My mom was told she need to do at-home antibody treatments if there was any chance she could be matched with another donor.  Well she did, and a year later we were blessed with a donor who was a match with her antibody count. The new kidney is doing great; we've never been so happy to have someone in the family that has to pee all the time. :) But if you know the affects of dialysis, you know her body is weak and her bones are weak.

My mom is recovering from a broken elbow and a broken tibia. These she obtained while trying to rescue my 2 year old niece from falling at the park. My mom tried to run to save my niece from falling but my mom is the one that tripped over her medical boot, from her foot that was healing from a previous fall...If you've seen Unbreakable with Bruce Willis - my mom is Samuel L Jackson in the film. She's Ms. Glass. 

I'm sure I didn't write this gofundme like the examples and tips said to; but this is our story. My boyfriend has been so optimistic and is speaking of faith; which we have. I'm usually around when he's been meeting family members and one after another he gives us uplifting words, and I keep hearing the reply..."yeah, but you don't know our family".

Polysistic Kidney Disease has taken so many lives we love. Cancer has taken so many lives we love. We hope for the best and prepare of the worse. We pray as a family and we encourage one another. It's just been a dark ride but my mom continues to be the brightest.
She's my light. 


I'm creating this account for her and selfishly, for me. I need her strength and most of all I need to have this smile in my life.

If you're on this page, you're most likely grown and you know what you read has dollar signs all over each break, each rejection, each illness. This site says to write down a summary of costs, explain where your money will be going...anything we get will go to medical expenses for past and upcoming bills to the many doctors we've seen, food/groceries, we were told today we need a lawyer for her disability claim since her current case for her kidneys ends in 6 months, lastly I'd hope to use some of the money to take her somewhere nice for vacation.

My mom couldn't travel before because she was tied down to a dialysis machine. It may be some time before she feels better after chemotherapy, but she deserves to see the ocean again and escape. Even if it's only for a few days...

You're donations, kind words and prayers are all needed today. I want to thank you for reading this far. As I said before, I probably didn't do this the right way, but this the only way I know how to. My mom and I thank you for your time and for what's in your heart to give. 


- Vanessa