In April 2013 Kelly was diagnosed with Breast Carcinoma ,Intraductal Carcinoma, ER/PR positive, HER positive, with extensive skeletal metastatic disease. The cancer is stage 4, which has metastasized to her spine, and hips. When diagnosed, she was told that she only had a short time to live. Currently the cancer has spread throughout her bones, back, and brain. Kelly is a single mother of two children ages 16 and 7.
A year prior to this diagnosis Kelly lost her mother to the same horrible disease. Kelly was able to care for her mother in her home and provide her with love and respect in her last days. During this struggle with her mom, she went through an emotional divorce and was unable to continue her college education and attend nursing school. Then she was told of her own dreadful diagnosis.
Due to the aggressiveness of the cancer, Kelly is unable to work and regretfully, her employment was terminated. Living with cancer is now her full-time job. Being unemployed creates a financial burden that can’t be adequately expressed in words. As it stands, she drives a vehicle that, despite the investment of a lot of time and money in, only starts on a wing and a prayer. Kelly has been struggling to provide for her family, but has been continuing to live for her children. She will likely never see her daughter graduate from high school or her son complete elementary school. She will never witness the weddings of her children or their college graduations. Her grandchildren will never know the fierceness and tenacity of their grandmother.
Forty-eight rounds of chemotherapy (seven different types) and 12 weeks of radiation have been completed. A new chemo has been started this month and has been the hardest one yet. This particular chemo is affecting her heart, digestion, and lung function. She has lost her hair twice and will always be enduring some type of treatment, as this cancer is incurable.
Kelly has a strength and determination like no one that I have ever known. She will live as long as her desire and heart will allow her. She wants to create memories with her family and to be able to enjoy them for as long as she can.
I am asking that we help her in her battle to LIVE - no matter what the odds are - no matter what the medical profession says. If we could help her day-to-day living be just a little easier and help her family create lasting memories, this would give her the boost she needs to keep LIVING. Thank you helping Kelly to LIVE!
