*AmazingStrength

On Christmas Eve, my mother, Jerry Martell, was diagnosed with Acute Myeloid Leukemia AML-FLT3-ITD positive. Jerry is the most amazing mother, wife, sister, friend and important person to the youth in are community. Jerry is one of the most thoughtful and loving individuals that you could ever meet. If you were in need of help, she would help you. As I was growing up,   I watched my mother very closely as she helped people. She would always tell us if you have an opportunity, the means to help someone open your heart and help! It gives you the most amazing feeling when you see people smile. Jerry’s happiness came from helping others. So we learned early, it's better to give than to receive. I know many of you can say the same.  


This all began on December 23, 2021, when my mom Jerry went to the emergency room with severe back pain. Jerry was diagnosed with a kidney stone and a rare blood disease. She was taken by ambulance to Sacred Heart Hospital in Pensacola Florida. Where she received her diagnosis on Christmas Eve.
When I heard the diagnosis tears began to run down my face. I looked at my mother with disbelief. She said people beat cancer every day. Laughing, she said I haven’t met one person that’s not dying yet. We all hope to live into our golden years! My mom always finds positive things in a bad situation.
Her journey began with a month-long chemotherapy treatment. As the days turned into weeks, my father Scott, my sister Sky, Brother DeVarion and Aunt Billy, we spent Christmas into New Year’s at the hospital taking turns so my mom would not be alone.
The nurses at Sacred Heart Hospital would come into the room and say how my mom was their favorite patient; they loved seeing her smile and her positive attitude. I am so grateful for the nurses at Sacred Heartn Hospital. I would like to thank the nurses at Sacred Heart Hospital, Felicia, Carola and Kourtni. There are many other nurses, but these are the ones I got to know.

We are now working diligently to get things ready for my mom to go to MD Anderson for a bone marrow transplant. She received a couple more rounds of chemo before she went to MD Anderson. At MD Anderson, she will continue chemotherapy and wait for a bone marrow transplant. We are so blessed to have such great healthcare providers.

My Mom and Dad will not be working in the foreseeable future; the financial burden of what's to come will be significant. In order for her to travel, to MD Anderson in Texas, continue receiving the care she needs, we ask our friends, family, community and anyone who has had the pleasure of knowing and loving our mother from both near and far to consider donating. We are not the ones to ask for help, but we are just not able to be there for them in this way. We thank you so much in advance for taking the time to read this. If you are able to donate at this time, we cannot thank you enough but will always find a way to try.

The road ahead towards becoming cancer-free will take both hard work and patience, but knowing my mom Jerry, she'll do so with her fearless strength and a smile.