I am 37, mother of two beautiful girls, ages 12 and 9, and wife of 12 years. I was first diagnosed with Stage3b Cervical Cancer in 2012 and have since run out of treatment options in my home state of NC and I don’t want to die. My insurance does not travel outside the state of NC so I need help in order to cover out of state Cancer Center ASAP, my cancer is aggressive and it's spreading.  donations will cover travel and hospital fees first, then other out of pocket treatment expenses and personal expenses.

Here’s the story of my fight with cancer.

I was first diagnosed with Stage3b Cervical Cancer in 2012. After a radical hysterectomy on December 28, 2012, an outside pathological study had revealed that “my cancer” had spread to my lymph nodes and to other areas outside of my cervix.  It was then decided that the cancer that originally was thought to have been in early stages and had not spread would require further treatment of brachytherapy (internal radiation), external beam radiation and adjuvant chemotherapy treatment of a drug called Cisplatin.  After months of treatment and recovery, my life slowly returned to as normal as it could until pain began to persist in my left pelvic region and in my back.  After a number of phone calls and pleadings with my oncologist to investigate, in 2014, she finally agreed to perform a scan, however, it was for the purposes of supporting her idea that the back pain was not cancer related and she would be sending me out to some sort of back specialist in order to address that pain and that the pain I was feeling in my pelvic area was a result of forming scar tissue and the healing process of nerves in that area after my surgery.

Once the scan was performed, I received the devastating news that my intuition was right, and that the pain, in fact, was due to new cancer mass in my left lower abdominal wall and it would need to be removed ASAP. She also revealed that the cancer was most likely the result of what she called a port site recurrence-a phenomenon believed to occur through the transfer of cancer cells from surgical tools or to high of CO2 pressures during surgery robotic surgery and the cancer cells would “seed” in the scar tissue where I was cut open.  There was less than a 1.5% risk of this occurrence, a risk that was not known to me and was not even included in any of my paper work warning me of what could happen if I agreed to this surgery.  The cancer was removed in November of 2014, at which time, my bowel was twisted before she closed the area that she opened up and caused a bowel blockage that hospitalized me for several weeks.

In January of 2015, I began another regimen of external beam radiation and adjuvant chemotherapy for months and then once that was complete, I began what is called, systemic chemotherapy, with 2 different chemo therapies along with the addition of a new drug that had been approved as an addition to the normal “standard of care” or treatment that was intended to slow down the future recurrence of disease and hopefully increase survival periods. During my systemic chemo treatments, I began to have pain onset and progression similar to the previous recurrence/mass, to which my oncologist, again, said was an unlikelihood for several reasons, but said she could not perform a scan until the completion of chemotherapy for accuracy purposes to know for sure.  Once I completed chemo, a PET/CT was performed, at which time, yet another tumor was discovered.  My oncologist told me there was nothing she could do for me at this point but remove the tumor and wait for another recurrence and continue to remove them as we are able for as long as we could while holding out for data for other cervical cancer treatments.  When she said this, I cried, I ran out of the office and screamed when I went outside and immediately fell to my knees. I was DEVESTATED!!!!! My heart sank as soon as I realized that I would have to tell my sweet girls that this chapter of our lives is not yet behind us.  I also made the choice to no longer use that oncologist and contacted another, who was able to enroll me in a clinical trial that I have been a part of for the past three months, which leads me to where I am today…..The clinical trial I was in got suspended by the CDC and FDA with no notice of returning.  I am out of NC treatment options; my insurance doesn’t cover out of state expenses.  I called MD Anderson and they want a $29k dollar deposit, and Cancer Centers of America are asking for $250k.  All other treatments are going to cost money, plus travel.  I have reached the limits of my insurance and all local options for treatment.  I don’t want to die.  I don’t want my sweet girls to grow up without a mom, but that is what’s going to happen if I don’t get help for treatments and expenses.  Please do not allow me to become another cancer statistic, I beg you.  Thank you to everyone who helps support me in my fight.  I am not famous, I know, but I don’t deserve to die, and I certainly do not deserve to be a casualty due to financial loss or absence.  Our worth is measured by more than the checks we can write.

My family has been devastated by all of this. I don’t want my girls to learn to give up or that our life’s value is determined by insurance and pharmaceutical companies, research labs and cancer centers, majorities or louder minorities.  1 person suffering from a disease is enough to warrant budgets, research, funding and so on.  All options left for me are immunotherapies, which can be revolutionary in helping to teach our bodies to fight this disease itself and others; This is no coincidence.  Helping me will also help other women in my position if science can learn from me.  It could save yours or my daughters’ lives some day.  God has blessed me with being a healthier patient in the respect that this disease has not traveled to my organs. I am confident that God’s will is for me to be here, to help, through my “trials”, save the lives of other women, with my fight.

• The estimated cost for Md Anderson, including travel and cancer hopsital deposit is  32,450 

In order to net that amount, there must be a gross contribution of 34,892 (fundrazr keeps around 7%)

• Lymphodema Treatment plus gas will cost 5563 and will need to have a gross donation of 5981 to net that amount
• Each trip to Charlotte Levine Cancer Institute costs around $9.00 in gas.
• Currently, our most dependable vehicle (my 2003 Tahoe Z71) is in need of alot of maintenance and some repairs also.  Obviously we are quite capable of doing the repairs, but finding the time to do so can be tough with what we have going on, so our preference is to bring it to a dealership.  We are also in huge need of general wear and tear items such as tires, brakes and rotors.  Depending on the amount of repairs that can be performed at one time, we may need to secure a rental car
• General living expenses-my husband takes much unpaid time to help care for me, take me to appointments, take care of our girls, etc..