Tamra Grelck left her heart (in great care) in SF
Donation protected
Friends and Family:
Thank you for your love, prayers, and concern for Tamra Grelck. In February 2019, Tamra was diagnosed with a very rare form of stage 3 cancer—called angiosarcoma of the heart.
Stage 3. Rare. Angiosarcoma of the heart.
Those words have pierced every single one of us. If you’re reading this, we have all had the same thoughts running through our heads:
But, Tamra has an entire life ahead of her…

But, Tamra is the mother to two young children who need her…

But, they’re an Air Force family stationed on the other side of the world…
What would you do?
Up until February, the Grelck Family had been living an exciting overseas adventure thanks to the United States Air Force, where Matt is a Senior Master Sergeant currently serving as the Deputy Fire Chief at Spangdahlem Air Base in Germany. Tamra is a dedicated military wife and stay-at-home mother to Oliver (5) and Emerson (2).
But behind the scenes, Tamra hasn’t felt good for months. In the fall, Tamra was diagnosed with pericarditis. She has been in and out of many European hospitals, but no matter how many times the doctors drained the fluid around her heart, it returned time and time again. An MRI taken in February indicated there was a mass on Tamra’s heart. Something was very wrong—and Tamra was in a hospital on the other side of the world.
Tamra and Matt made one of the biggest decisions of their lives. After receiving approval from her doctors—and with little notice—they bought last minute airplane tickets, packed a few bags for the family, and boarded a plane holding Oliver and Emerson in their arms, destined for Stanford Hospital in Palo Alto, California. 5,649 miles away.
A new chance at life—and a new life.
Now in California, Tamra was rushed from the plane directly to some of the most renowned doctors in the world at Stanford University. But, the news was dire: she was diagnosed with a very rare form of stage 3 cancer called angiosarcoma of the heart.
Tamra’s medical team performed emergency heart surgery. They found the two masses that had been identified on a PET scan, but also 10 additional tumors when they opened her heart. During the surgery, surgeons physically disconnected her heart from her body to operate, keeping her alive on an artificial heart and lung machine. Her doctors had to reconstruct part of her heart.
Dr. Joseph Woo and his team have literally given Tamra a chance to survive with this surgery. Of the 4,000 known cases ever of this form of cancer… well, the Google results aren’t easy to look at. But Dr. Woo’s techniques have removed all visible signs of this incredibly aggressive form of cancer and the next step in this process is tough.

There is no break for Tamra to recover from open heart, heart out of body, break your ribs to access your heart surgery—she is on a race against time.
The doctors have ordered 5 rounds of two types of chemotherapy over the next several months. Chemotherapy where each round consists of five, 10-hour days in a row of treatment that leaves the body weak and unable to care for young children. They are cautiously hopeful that with this aggressive treatment, Tamra can beat the odds.

But, while Tamra fights the battle of her life…life also goes on.
Except now, in California. Expensive, Silicon Valley, California.
The Grelck Family will remain near Stanford for months while Tamra undergoes an extremely aggressive chemotherapy regimen. While they are incredibly fortunate to be under the best medical care possible, they are still living away from their home and are still obligated to pay rent for their home with all utilities, a still parked-at-the-airport car, and belongings in Germany—with significant living expenses accruing in Palo Alto. Matt and Tamra are depleting their savings and retirement at a rapid clip, even with a very generous health insurance plan.
Help Tamra kick this rare cancer!
If you know Tamra, you know she is determined to fight this cancer. After all, she has an entire life ahead of her! She has two young children who need a mother! And she has an Air Force adventure in Germany awaiting her return!

If you’re worried about Tamra and want to help in some meaningful way, consider making a gift to help support the Grelck family’s living expenses in the Bay Area. Tamra needs to focus on regaining her strength. Instead, she is focusing on:
· A monthly rent that, although the cheapest they could find, is still very expensive for a modest house near Stanford Hospital
· Groceries and healthy meal prep delivery for herself and the kids, both now and when Matt has to return to service in Germany later this spring
· Transportation around the Bay Area for the family
· Childcare in the Bay Area
The Grelcks are a single-income military family. Any relief of out-of-pocket expenses will help Tamra focus solely on the fight of her life and meaningful time with her family.
Thank you in advance for your love and care.

Thank you for your love, prayers, and concern for Tamra Grelck. In February 2019, Tamra was diagnosed with a very rare form of stage 3 cancer—called angiosarcoma of the heart.
Stage 3. Rare. Angiosarcoma of the heart.
Those words have pierced every single one of us. If you’re reading this, we have all had the same thoughts running through our heads:
But, Tamra has an entire life ahead of her…
But, Tamra is the mother to two young children who need her…
But, they’re an Air Force family stationed on the other side of the world…
What would you do?
Up until February, the Grelck Family had been living an exciting overseas adventure thanks to the United States Air Force, where Matt is a Senior Master Sergeant currently serving as the Deputy Fire Chief at Spangdahlem Air Base in Germany. Tamra is a dedicated military wife and stay-at-home mother to Oliver (5) and Emerson (2).
But behind the scenes, Tamra hasn’t felt good for months. In the fall, Tamra was diagnosed with pericarditis. She has been in and out of many European hospitals, but no matter how many times the doctors drained the fluid around her heart, it returned time and time again. An MRI taken in February indicated there was a mass on Tamra’s heart. Something was very wrong—and Tamra was in a hospital on the other side of the world.
Tamra and Matt made one of the biggest decisions of their lives. After receiving approval from her doctors—and with little notice—they bought last minute airplane tickets, packed a few bags for the family, and boarded a plane holding Oliver and Emerson in their arms, destined for Stanford Hospital in Palo Alto, California. 5,649 miles away.
A new chance at life—and a new life.
Now in California, Tamra was rushed from the plane directly to some of the most renowned doctors in the world at Stanford University. But, the news was dire: she was diagnosed with a very rare form of stage 3 cancer called angiosarcoma of the heart.
Tamra’s medical team performed emergency heart surgery. They found the two masses that had been identified on a PET scan, but also 10 additional tumors when they opened her heart. During the surgery, surgeons physically disconnected her heart from her body to operate, keeping her alive on an artificial heart and lung machine. Her doctors had to reconstruct part of her heart.
Dr. Joseph Woo and his team have literally given Tamra a chance to survive with this surgery. Of the 4,000 known cases ever of this form of cancer… well, the Google results aren’t easy to look at. But Dr. Woo’s techniques have removed all visible signs of this incredibly aggressive form of cancer and the next step in this process is tough.
There is no break for Tamra to recover from open heart, heart out of body, break your ribs to access your heart surgery—she is on a race against time.
The doctors have ordered 5 rounds of two types of chemotherapy over the next several months. Chemotherapy where each round consists of five, 10-hour days in a row of treatment that leaves the body weak and unable to care for young children. They are cautiously hopeful that with this aggressive treatment, Tamra can beat the odds.
But, while Tamra fights the battle of her life…life also goes on.
Except now, in California. Expensive, Silicon Valley, California.
The Grelck Family will remain near Stanford for months while Tamra undergoes an extremely aggressive chemotherapy regimen. While they are incredibly fortunate to be under the best medical care possible, they are still living away from their home and are still obligated to pay rent for their home with all utilities, a still parked-at-the-airport car, and belongings in Germany—with significant living expenses accruing in Palo Alto. Matt and Tamra are depleting their savings and retirement at a rapid clip, even with a very generous health insurance plan.
Help Tamra kick this rare cancer!
If you know Tamra, you know she is determined to fight this cancer. After all, she has an entire life ahead of her! She has two young children who need a mother! And she has an Air Force adventure in Germany awaiting her return!
If you’re worried about Tamra and want to help in some meaningful way, consider making a gift to help support the Grelck family’s living expenses in the Bay Area. Tamra needs to focus on regaining her strength. Instead, she is focusing on:
· A monthly rent that, although the cheapest they could find, is still very expensive for a modest house near Stanford Hospital
· Groceries and healthy meal prep delivery for herself and the kids, both now and when Matt has to return to service in Germany later this spring
· Transportation around the Bay Area for the family
· Childcare in the Bay Area
The Grelcks are a single-income military family. Any relief of out-of-pocket expenses will help Tamra focus solely on the fight of her life and meaningful time with her family.
Thank you in advance for your love and care.
Organizer
Matthew Grelck
Organizer
Mountain View, CA
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