<div>Family and Friends,
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<div>As we all know, the people we work with daily can seem more like family than friends, and our sweet bookkeeper Rosalia has become just that... Family.
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<div>Over the last year, Thomas and I have witnessed through Rosalia, her daughter-in-law, Marilyn's, heartbreaking battle with Glioblastoma cancer and the loss of her unborn baby due to her cancer treatment. Recently Marilyn and her husband Sergio (Rosalia's son) received news from MD Anderson that Marilyn has three months to live.
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<div>Since I heard this devastating news from Rosalia, it has been heavy on my heart to help somehow. Many of us are blessed not knowing the pain and heartache of a loved one who suffers from an illness.
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<div>I am starting this GoFundMe to raise money to help Marilyn and Sergio live these last few months without financial worries and enjoy each other's time together.
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<div>Here is Marilyn's story:
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<div>Marilyn and Sergio met in high school while working at Springcreek Barbeque. They started dating in 2009 and got married in 2014. Shortly before they married, Sergio joined the Air Force, and they were stationed in Germany that same year. While in Germany, they were able to travel all over the world and made many lifelong friends. Marilyn even met her goal of reaching 30 countries before her 30th birthday.
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<div><strong>                                        Sergio &amp; Marilyn with their sweet baby Patches</strong>
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<div>After being stationed in Germany for nearly 7 years, in early 2021 Marilyn and Sergio were excitedly awaiting the arrival of their first child. At their 16-week appointment, they were told there was something wrong with their baby's development and that he would not make it to term. She and Sergio were referred to fetal care doctors stateside in hopes they could diagnose and treat him.
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<div><strong>             Marilyn and her adorable baby bump before she knew anything was wrong</strong>
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<div>Not long before they flew to Austin in August, Marilyn had begun having what she called "episodes." During these episodes, her heart would race, her arm or foot would go numb, and she would get very nauseous and vomit. These episodes were also becoming more frequent - starting randomly, but soon became weekly, then every few days, and on to multiple times a day.
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<div><strong>                                       The mass that was removed from Marilyn's brain</strong>
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<div>Marilyn's episodes were assumed to be pregnancy related until one day, they were constant, and Marilyn couldn't keep food down. The next day their fetal care doctor directed them to go to the hospital and told them not to leave until she'd had an MRI.
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<div>The MRI showed a mass in Marilyn's brain; the episodes Marilyn had were seizures.
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<div><strong>                    Sergio helping Marilyn walk after her brain tumor removal surgery</strong>
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<div>The following week, she had brain surgery to safely remove as much of the mass as possible. They'd then test it to confirm what it was. The surgery was successful, but their baby could not survive it. His heart stopped beating during the surgery. A week after brain surgery, Marilyn and Sergio met their rainbow baby, Lorenzo Atlas Rosa. They believe Lorenzo stayed here with them, months longer than doctors predicted, to make sure Marilyn was able to get diagnosed and treated for her illness.
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<div><strong>                                              Sergio &amp; Marilyn with their rainbow baby</strong>
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<div><strong>                                                    Rosalia with her rainbow grandson</strong>
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<div>The following week, they received results that confirmed the mass was cancer, precisely an aggressive form of brain cancer called Glioblastoma. Marilyn's had progressed to containing grades 2, 3, and 4. Grade 4, the fastest growing grade, had largely been removed, but the mass had grown out from there into places of her brain that made them unsafe to remove surgically.
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<div>In November, she began chemotherapy and radiation treatment 5 days a week for 6 weeks, based back in Dallas to be closer to family. Her targeted radiation treatment involved casting her face to create a brace that would hold her head in place.
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<div><strong>                                                             Sergio, Marilyn &amp; Rosalia</strong>
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<div><strong>                                                          Marilyn's Dad, Her &amp; Sergio</strong>
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<div>During this time, she also had her neuro-oncologist in Austin apply to see if she qualified for a trial at MD Anderson. MD Anderson is one of the best cancer centers in the United States. However, they told her that she wasn't eligible because the treatment she was on had been helping her thus far. So Marilyn asked the neuro-oncologist at MD Anderson to be her primary neuro-oncologist in case the cancer grew back and she became eligible.
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<div>After the initial 6 weeks of chemo and radiation, she began a chemo regimen of 5 days on and 23 days off for a year. Things had been going well, and cancer slightly shrank by June of 2022.
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<div>However, Marilyn began behaving strangely on a flight to Boston in July. She was perplexed, very fidgety, and couldn't walk. An ambulance was called to the airport, and they rushed Marilyn to the hospital, where they first confirmed it wasn't a stroke or seizures. However, she continued to get worse, even sedated, and was still fidgeting, kicking, and unable to speak clearly. When she did, it often didn't make sense.
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<div><strong>                                                      Marilyn after her shunt surgery</strong>
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<div>Doctors recommended a lumbar puncture to test to see if there was an infection in her brain. However, they had to intubate her because it wasn't safe to do the procedure when she couldn't remain still. The lumbar puncture revealed an extreme amount of pressure in her spinal fluid. Once that pressure was relieved, the restless, jerky movements stopped. After a few days, she was awake and stable, but her short-term memory didn't return to normal.
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<div>The lumbar puncture alleviated the symptoms but didn't help doctors understand the cause. Regardless, doctors felt she was well enough to be discharged, and we wanted to get her home.
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<div><strong>                                  Marilyn's sister holding her hand while in the hospital</strong>
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<div>Once back in Texas, she had an appointment with her neuro-oncologist at MD Anderson. They'd talked to the doctors that treated her in Boston, and she'd had another MRI shortly before the appointment. This MRI revealed that Marilyn had Leptomeningeal Disease. The cancer cells had spread into the spinal fluid surrounding her brain and spine. These cells also made it harder for her body to reabsorb her spinal fluid as it usually would. Since it couldn't reabsorb, the pressure built up, causing all her symptoms. They recommended she have surgery to place a shunt in her skull and thread it to release excess spinal fluid into her stomach. She had surgery later that week, and it went well.
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<div>Initially, her doctors had said she would need to change the chemo treatment plan and start a broader form of radiation since the cancer cells were no longer contained in one place in her brain.
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<div>However, after speaking with the radiation team she'd seen at the end of 2021, they concluded that it would not be safe to treat her with radiation again so soon. There isn't much else they can offer for treatment now, and said she might only have a few months left with us.
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<div>Marilyn and Sergio want to make the most of this time. They're hoping to take a few long road trips and see some of the most beautiful places in the world, like the Grand Canyon. Since she can't safely fly, they want to travel in an RV so she can rest comfortably while on the road. Anything donated will go toward making this dream a reality.
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Marilyn's Swan Song

<div><strong>Because of all these amazing donations I was able to get my cans seriously canceled. </strong>
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<div><strong>I couldn’t be happier or more grateful for my new live with this amazing chest I have. </strong>
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<div><strong>Thank you! thank you! thank you!</strong>
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<div><strong>MIs it trash day? Because it's time to take out these cans.</strong> <strong>12/6/21 is the date! </strong>(the fates have spoken, the date is a palindrome!) I expected my date to be further down the line but they got me in before the end of a year! It's a queer Christmas miracle! In many ways, this will be for me a rebirth.

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<div>I've lived a very long time in this amazing body and I can't remember a day where these jugs made any sense to me. It's a difficult thing to explain to anyone that hasn't experienced it. I feel gender-confirming surgeries bring forth a very unique set of internal affirmations that can never truly be achieved in any other way. <strong>These parts reflect an identity that I have never felt or known to be me. So the time has come. </strong>

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<div>The procedure is pretty straightforward and I am so excited to have booked one of the best Top Surgery Surgeons in the country. Dr. Satterwhite is amazing, comforting and so very talented. It's also immeasurably affirming to have a surgeon who is a part of the LGBT community. <strong>These funds will support surgery, post-op care, and post-op recovery. </strong>Because of my profession, I'm required to recover for a full 6 weeks. Your donations will also aid with basic needs during that time to ensure a safe, serene, and comfortable recovery. (Basic needs include: travel to and from SF/SF lodging/ meals/etc.)(Go fund me fees have also been included in my fundraiser goal.)

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<div><strong>THE CLOCK IS TICKING! 12/6/21 is right around the corner!</strong>

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<div><strong> HELP BY: </strong>

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<ul>
<li><strong>Donating! $10/$50/$100 - $1,000+</strong>

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<li><strong>Posting on your social media! </strong>

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<li><strong>Sharing with anyone you think might be willing to donate! </strong>

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<div>All donations bring us to our goal.

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<div><strong>I couldn't be more ready and excited to see on the outside how I have always felt on the inside.</strong>

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<div><strong>All my love and blessings and THANK YOU! - Claire</strong>

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Cancel Claire's Cans (Top Surgery Fund) COMPLETE!!

Hi my name is Gloribel Pagan and I'm doing this for my father and great grandmother in Puerto Rico after hurricane Maria they have no water,food,clothes  and home damage. I fear they will have no Xmas either. Thank you in advance for your donation and God bless you.<br><img src="https://d2g8igdw686xgo.cloudfront.net/24252794_1506611301.367_funddescription.jpg" class="not-resizeable" width="100%"><br><img src="https://d2g8igdw686xgo.cloudfront.net/24252794_1506611318.7631_funddescription.jpg" class="not-resizeable" width="100%">

Family in PR hurricane fund

Nina Giordano

<div>Emma Fischer has been in Savannah, GA for almost 20 years and moved from Brooklyn, NY to Savannah to pursue a degree in Fibers at the Savannah College of Art and Design. Emma has always been passionate about small-scale art and fashion. Enter nail design, the perfect intersection of tiny art and creative freedom. A YouTube rabbit hole quickly revealed nail design was the perfect avenue for Emma to pursue full-time.
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<div>In 2019, Emma started making press-on sets in her home and studying at Savannah Tech to earn certifications. After working at salons in Savannah for a year, Emma had a long list of clientele and realized it was finally time to jump and take her brand, <strong>Bad Witch Nails, to the next level - entrepreneurship!</strong>
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<div>Fast forward to now, and <strong>Emma needs your help.</strong> She has worked tirelessly to develop her brand, gain new clientele, create content, manage multiple social media platforms, and find an amazing brick and mortar to open <strong>Bad Witch Beauty Shop @ 1104 Montgomery St.</strong>
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<div>The Bad Witch Beauty Shop is more than a nail salon. It’s a creative, inclusive space where self-expression and community magic come together. What started as a one-woman nail studio is growing into a full-scale beauty shop that celebrates funky, witchy, nostalgic style and empowers people to feel themselves in every color, charm, and sparkle.
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<div>This shop will be a home for talented artists and clients who love fun, expressive beauty. With your support, we can bring this vision to life and build a space that reflects the heart and personality of the Savannah community.
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<div>Your donation will be vital in covering startup costs, a brand new ventilation system, and equipment. Thank you for being a part of the Bad Witch story!
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Nina Giordano

Nina Giordano

What they care about

Featured causes

Help Emma Fischer Open Bad Witch Beauty Shop

Marilyn's Swan Song

Cancel Claire's Cans (Top Surgery Fund) COMPLETE!!

Family in PR hurricane fund

About me