Kali, Cancer and Kids, Oh My!
Donation protected
Kali is 24 years old. In July 2015 she had a bump on her tongue that she thought was from bitting her tongue to many times in the same place. That bump turned into a sore, kind of like a canker sore about the size of a penny.
In the fall the bump was still there and was becoming pretty sore. She went to the dentist to have it checked out. It didn't go away and she went back to her dentist and family physician; neither one could figure it out. In February 2016 she was in so much pain from the sore she went into the doctor and asked to see a specialist. The specialist tried treating it for two weeks. After several prescriptions and the sore still present, the specialist decided to biopsy the sore. Thats when she found out she had Squamous Cell Carcinoma.
On April 6th, Kali went to University of Michigan to have a major surgery to remove the tumor. She had her entire tongue removed, all lymph nodes removed from both sides of her neck and a skin graft on her stomach which was used to reconstruct a new flap/tongue. She has a very long road of recovery ahead of her. She is currently adjusting to eating through a feeding tube, using a tracheotomy and her ability to talk is no longer (we are hopeful through lots of therapy she will be able to make some letter sounds). The biggest kicker was when she had her pathology report read one of the encapsulated cells had burst open. Which means she will have intense radiation and chemo in 4 weeks once her tongue is considered "healed."
On a more personal note; two months before the cancer had shown it's ugly self Kali got married to the man of her dreams. They have always wanted children and with chemotherapy the likelihood is slim.
While she is home healing before she begins her rounds of radiation and chemo she would like to freeze her eggs. Her and her husband are in the beginning of their careers which means their income and insurance are not stable enough to go through this process alone. This is where we are hoping you can help them out!
Kali, has a heart of gold and would do anything for anyone. She is more than deserving of financial assistance, so that one day, further down the road after the unimaginable has passed, her dreams can come true. Kali and Matt would be forever grateful for your generous donation to the future of their family. They have a very short period of time since chemo has to start in 4 weeks to ensure cancer doesn't spread to other parts of her body. Kali and Matt would be forever grateful for your generous donation to the future of their family and medical costs from this life changing experience.
In the fall the bump was still there and was becoming pretty sore. She went to the dentist to have it checked out. It didn't go away and she went back to her dentist and family physician; neither one could figure it out. In February 2016 she was in so much pain from the sore she went into the doctor and asked to see a specialist. The specialist tried treating it for two weeks. After several prescriptions and the sore still present, the specialist decided to biopsy the sore. Thats when she found out she had Squamous Cell Carcinoma.
On April 6th, Kali went to University of Michigan to have a major surgery to remove the tumor. She had her entire tongue removed, all lymph nodes removed from both sides of her neck and a skin graft on her stomach which was used to reconstruct a new flap/tongue. She has a very long road of recovery ahead of her. She is currently adjusting to eating through a feeding tube, using a tracheotomy and her ability to talk is no longer (we are hopeful through lots of therapy she will be able to make some letter sounds). The biggest kicker was when she had her pathology report read one of the encapsulated cells had burst open. Which means she will have intense radiation and chemo in 4 weeks once her tongue is considered "healed."
On a more personal note; two months before the cancer had shown it's ugly self Kali got married to the man of her dreams. They have always wanted children and with chemotherapy the likelihood is slim.
While she is home healing before she begins her rounds of radiation and chemo she would like to freeze her eggs. Her and her husband are in the beginning of their careers which means their income and insurance are not stable enough to go through this process alone. This is where we are hoping you can help them out!
Kali, has a heart of gold and would do anything for anyone. She is more than deserving of financial assistance, so that one day, further down the road after the unimaginable has passed, her dreams can come true. Kali and Matt would be forever grateful for your generous donation to the future of their family. They have a very short period of time since chemo has to start in 4 weeks to ensure cancer doesn't spread to other parts of her body. Kali and Matt would be forever grateful for your generous donation to the future of their family and medical costs from this life changing experience.
Organizer and beneficiary
Kari Stranberg
Organizer
Kalamazoo, MI
Kali McCaleb
Beneficiary