My Sisters Fight with Cancer and MS
Donation protected
Multiple Sclerosis and Cancer for the Second time at 36 years old.
My beautiful sister Danielle is up for yet another fight. A fight to be healthy and to see her adorable children Teva 3 and Tehani 2 grow up.
The past few years have seen my sister go through one set back after another. Just last week receiving more bad news, the biggest set back by far, another hurdle another fight.
In 2012 Danielle was diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis at 32. For a happy healthy young woman this news was a huge shock. Danielle took it in her stride always smiling and determined to get on with her life with her partner John.
It was not too long after this that Danielle fell pregnant for the third time. They were constantly worried about losing this baby after two previous miscarriages. Relieved to reach the 12 week mark things were going well until she developed pre eclampsia quiet early on then it worsened and Danielle was diagnosed with HELLP Syndrome which is a life threatening and rare pregnancy complication. They were told the baby needs to be delivered ASAP otherwise they could both be in severe danger and not survive. Teva was delivered at 31.6 weeks and weighing a tiny 1.2kg. They both had a fight ahead... Teva in his young life has had 3 surgeries and is now a happy healthy 3 year old.
The biggest blow to us all as a family was in May 2015 when Danielle was diagnosed with Cervical Cancer YES... Cancer and MS with her daughter being only 4 months old. The only option was to have major surgery. A radical hysterectomy combined with pelvic lymph node dissection. This was in July 2015. It was a challenging and emotional time for our family with a long recovery but eventually Danielle started to feel better.
It has certainly been a challenging time, her MS and the complications that go with it and the worsening symptoms and steroid treatments to help with MS relapses. She also suffers side effects from the MS medications on a daily basis and her fatigue at times can be crippling. She has permanent numbness to her right leg and hand it has been such a struggle the drugs only help to slow the process down there is no cure for MS. How much can a family take?
Now as if this is not enough to handle more bad news. Last week we got the terrible news that the cancer has returned. I was with my sister as she received the results we just were so shocked and all we could do was cry. It has not even been 2 years.
The only thing now for Danielle is to go through radiation therapy and perhaps Chemotherapy. Radiation is a 4 week course having to go Monday to Friday for 4 weeks. As a family we will rally around her to take care of them all.
Danielle’s supportive partner John is self employed and needs to work 6 days a week just to make sure they can get through with a mortgage to pay and all of the extra expenses associated with the hospital visits put a huge burden on them both and a never ending cycle of work and bills with nothing extra allowing them some fun and happiness. Danielle always puts others ahead of herself, she never complains and makes sure the needs of the children are always met.
What I would really love is if Danielle could get the HSCT or Hematopioetic Stem Cell Transplant, is the only existing scientifically proven treatment, currently available that completely halts disease progression of Multiple Sclerosis. For this we would need around the 100K as this is not available in Australia.
Firstly though we need to rid her body of the Cancer
I have set this page up because I want my sister and her family to have some happiness and be able to give them a bit of a break from their struggles. The huge costs associated with the medical treatments and the continuing commute to Brisbane and the Gold Coast University Hospital and parking fees is just ridiculous. Danielle cannot return to work as she planned to do soon. So this is where we need to help this beautiful family.
We thank you with all of our hearts in advance for any donation which will give this beautiful young family some hope and happiness.
My beautiful sister Danielle is up for yet another fight. A fight to be healthy and to see her adorable children Teva 3 and Tehani 2 grow up.
The past few years have seen my sister go through one set back after another. Just last week receiving more bad news, the biggest set back by far, another hurdle another fight.
In 2012 Danielle was diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis at 32. For a happy healthy young woman this news was a huge shock. Danielle took it in her stride always smiling and determined to get on with her life with her partner John.
It was not too long after this that Danielle fell pregnant for the third time. They were constantly worried about losing this baby after two previous miscarriages. Relieved to reach the 12 week mark things were going well until she developed pre eclampsia quiet early on then it worsened and Danielle was diagnosed with HELLP Syndrome which is a life threatening and rare pregnancy complication. They were told the baby needs to be delivered ASAP otherwise they could both be in severe danger and not survive. Teva was delivered at 31.6 weeks and weighing a tiny 1.2kg. They both had a fight ahead... Teva in his young life has had 3 surgeries and is now a happy healthy 3 year old.
The biggest blow to us all as a family was in May 2015 when Danielle was diagnosed with Cervical Cancer YES... Cancer and MS with her daughter being only 4 months old. The only option was to have major surgery. A radical hysterectomy combined with pelvic lymph node dissection. This was in July 2015. It was a challenging and emotional time for our family with a long recovery but eventually Danielle started to feel better.
It has certainly been a challenging time, her MS and the complications that go with it and the worsening symptoms and steroid treatments to help with MS relapses. She also suffers side effects from the MS medications on a daily basis and her fatigue at times can be crippling. She has permanent numbness to her right leg and hand it has been such a struggle the drugs only help to slow the process down there is no cure for MS. How much can a family take?
Now as if this is not enough to handle more bad news. Last week we got the terrible news that the cancer has returned. I was with my sister as she received the results we just were so shocked and all we could do was cry. It has not even been 2 years.
The only thing now for Danielle is to go through radiation therapy and perhaps Chemotherapy. Radiation is a 4 week course having to go Monday to Friday for 4 weeks. As a family we will rally around her to take care of them all.
Danielle’s supportive partner John is self employed and needs to work 6 days a week just to make sure they can get through with a mortgage to pay and all of the extra expenses associated with the hospital visits put a huge burden on them both and a never ending cycle of work and bills with nothing extra allowing them some fun and happiness. Danielle always puts others ahead of herself, she never complains and makes sure the needs of the children are always met.
What I would really love is if Danielle could get the HSCT or Hematopioetic Stem Cell Transplant, is the only existing scientifically proven treatment, currently available that completely halts disease progression of Multiple Sclerosis. For this we would need around the 100K as this is not available in Australia.
Firstly though we need to rid her body of the Cancer
I have set this page up because I want my sister and her family to have some happiness and be able to give them a bit of a break from their struggles. The huge costs associated with the medical treatments and the continuing commute to Brisbane and the Gold Coast University Hospital and parking fees is just ridiculous. Danielle cannot return to work as she planned to do soon. So this is where we need to help this beautiful family.
We thank you with all of our hearts in advance for any donation which will give this beautiful young family some hope and happiness.
Organizer
Melissa Arentsen
Organizer
Austinville QLD
