Some of you heard the news through the amazing surprise celebration of her 60th birthday party, where we rocked our pink “Team Kelly” shirts. For those of you who do not know, our very own Kelly, was diagnosed with invasive ductal carcinoma stage one, grade 3, triple negative breast cancer on May 4th.
May 9th was her very first appointment with her surgical oncologist, who explained the diagnosis and what she felt would be the next best steps. After that, she met with the entire team of doctors who would work alongside her through this process. Although it was caught early on and the tumor was found to be small, due to the aggressive and fast-spreading nature of this type of breast cancer, the team determined that the best plan of action would be to quickly begin the first form of chemo every other week for the first 4 treatments, followed by a 3-week break. She would then begin another form of chemo once a week for 12 weeks, with another 2-3 week break before surgery, which includes a possible two-month healing process. The final step would be radiation 5 days a week for 4 weeks. Talk about rocking someone’s entire world in a moment’s notice.
I believe that every one of us can attest to what an amazing human my mom is. She has one of, if not THE, biggest hearts with the most caring soul I have ever met. She has such a positive, upbeat, and fun energy about her. If you’ve been around her more than 30 seconds, you know that she is going to greet you with her biggest smile and warm hug. No matter what she faces personally, she would do anything for those around her. I think we can all agree she has always been such a ray of sunshine to so many of us, through and through. Even through the hellish days of chemo and side effects that follow, she has been so strong and brave…and might I add, she still gives the best hugs and wears that sweet smile every day.
She has been showered with so much love, support, and care from SO many of you…through sweet care packages, words of encouragement, and standing by her side. I can’t express to you how much she values each of these gestures. Though not ideal to disclose, cancer is one hell of a beast that not only comes with daily physical and emotional hardships, but also unexpected and extreme expenses. Many of you have asked how else you can help during this difficult time. While we do not want anyone to feel obligated, we would like to give those near or far an opportunity to help provide some relief from the financial stress. Unfortunately, we do not live in a world where healthcare is automatically provided free of cost. For her to be on the path to better days, treatment and surgery is a must. With that said, I would like to invite you to contribute toward Kelly—our mom, a wife, a friend, a cousin, a friend, and a Mimi—kicking cancer’s ass! No amount is too small, and every bit counts toward her journey to wellness and brighter days!
Sending a huge thank you in advance, to each one of you, for taking the time to read this and for the help you provide! It will not go unnoticed, and she will forever be grateful.
