Strength for Sheila

A week before Christmas, my sister Sheila was diagnosed with a rare type of brain cancer, glioblastoma, with no option for surgery. The tumor was deep and intertwined within her brain. The doctors told us she had a few months to live, longer with radiation.

Death is not a stranger for us. Our father owned a funeral home and we – four girls and five boys - lived on the second and third floors. . While death took over the first floor, we nine kids were teeming with life on the floors above. But now death has become personal.

Shortly after Sheila received her news, her oldest daughter Michaela gave birth to a beautiful baby girl. Sheila has three daughters and now three grandchildren, and while she celebrated the joy of little Brynne’s birth, I know how profoundly sad she was that she would not live to see this precious girl grow up.

This is not Sheila’s first battle with cancer. 28 years ago, she was diagnosed with bone cancer in her right shoulder. My beautiful, active sister, then with two young children, fought back and underwent a massive operation to remove the cancer. Left with a large scar down her back and the inability to fully use her right arm, Sheila continued to live each day in her vibrant and upbeat manner. With the strength only a cancer survivor could know, she gave birth to her third daughter less than a year after surgery, continued going to the beach without worrying how her newly scarred shoulder would look, went to exercise classes that most people with her disability wouldn’t have attempted and continued living each day to the fullest. Sheila also went on to make a difference in so many children’s lives as a Special Education Paraprofessional at Highlands Elementary School in Danvers. She has always been able to find ways to connect with those that need help and kindness the most.

This time though, the cancer is different. One of the deadliest cancers, glioblastoma is a stage 4 aggressive brain tumor that shows no mercy. Sheila is undergoing the standard treatment of care under the guidance of her incredible doctors at Mass General in Boston. This includes daily radiation appointments and bi-weekly infusions of the drug Avastin to alleviate symptoms and slow the tumor’s growth. We want to continue to give her the best care possible so she can stand strong against such a formidable opponent.

I am writing to ask for help because Sheila and her family are facing mounting medical expenses. Her husband has had to take a leave of absence from work to care for her. She now needs 24/7 supervision, visiting nurses, OT and PT, and this list will only grow with additional needs for her care as the cancer progresses. Daily trips to Boston for doctors’ appointments and unexpected hospital visits are now the new norm.

I think I can speak for everyone who knows Sheila when I say her outgoing and spunky personality could light up the darkest room. Any help at all, so we can try to keep this light shining bright for as long as possible, would by greatly appreciated by all of us.