Hello friends, family, & friends that are like family. I am reaching out for support to assist my 62 year old mother Kathy in the final part of her cancer journey. Many of you know but for those that don’t for a little over a year now my mother has been battling aggressive stage 4B cervical cancer. She has been fearless with an awesome sense of humility and humor throughout her journey. She always found a way to laugh during even the longest of chemo treatments sometimes lasting 6+ hours, or cracking jokes with her oncology team during procedures. She is such an inspiration.
At her recent oncology appointment we found ourselves shocked. My mother’s hair has recently grown back from chemo treatments, her confidence has been thriving, and she was feeling her life was back on track, she was happy. We were shocked when we got the heart breaking news that she has about 2-4 months left of life unless we find a miracle cure/ clinical trial at Dana Farber. We are anxiously waiting for their call. We are wishing for hope but preparing for a stark reality.
My mother has worked as a home health aid in Manchester taking care of a client who is blind throughout her cancer journey. My mom has been struggling to have the energy to care for her client this past month she is getting tired. She is so stressed about finances that she won’t stop working! Even if she applies for disability she will be scraping by and she has repeatedly refused our help. She is quite the stubborn independent woman (understatement)! She also has become very attached to this lovely family she has been helping, they have become like family. She wants to stay independent for as long as possible and I am trying to support that in all the ways I can.
My mother lives a simple life, she has lived in Manchester NH for most of her life. She has not been able to save for retirement or emergencies. Only a year ago was my mom able to move into her own apartment she had been living in rented rooms and couch surfing for many years. She has relied on section 8 housing, shops at thrift stores and is a regular at the food bank and doesn’t complain about any of it. Life hasn’t been easy for her. She is one of six kids and had quite a turbulent upbringing. She has raised FOUR children. She has had to endure the most pain a mother can imagine and has buried two of her children, my younger brother and my older sister. That she has struggled in this life is an understatement. But despite her struggles she has maintained a positive attitude, is a loving mother, grandmother, and sister and always laughing. Our relationship has flourished throughout her cancer journey and I have come to appreciate her personality and life experiences with a sense of awe. She has given me a new perspective on life.
We are planning on helping my mother out financially where we can. We are also preparing to take on the burden of some unexpected hefty end of life costs, so trying to manage all the things is seeming impossible right now. We really appreciate you help.
She has been reluctant to accept our help, but there are ways! With these donations I am hoping to do the following.
1) Get Kathy to retire! And assist her in paying her current and future bills including a pile of medical bills. She has been paying $100 co pays just to see her oncologist.
2) Make her “bucket list” wish come true. My mother has said her one wish is to go to a spa and get a massage and a facial. She has never been to a spa. I am hoping to take her on an overnight trip to a nice spa in NH to make this dream come true asap while she is still feeling okay.
3) Enrich the final part of her life journey with fun things she loves without feeling burdened by the financial aspect. Her joys include painting, visits with family, trips to hampton beach, the white mountains, the casino in manchester, and going out for breakfast.
* If time becomes not in our favor any left over funds will be put towards end of life costs.
Thank you so much for your consideration and love,
Julie
