Help Ellen Fight Cancer

Hi. My name is Riley Kellogg. I want to tell you a little bit about my sister, Ellen Kellogg Evans.

Ellen lives in Maine in a lovely town. She has been an actress most of her life (and a damned fine one), and more recently developed another creative talent, publishing two marvelous novels (Full Circle and Crossroads, under the name E.E. Kellogg). She is also a highly skilled chef. Ellen’s keen intellect and sensitive observation inform her writing as they have her artistry as an actress, and indeed her entire life.

I am asking for your help on her behalf. Several major medical issues require tests, treatment, and time for recovery. The costs will inevitably be extremely high. I hope you will read this and contribute some much-needed money to help her get through these challenges.

From Ellen:

I am facing two different cancers. Lung cancer and the possibility of breast cancer. In addition, I have two brain tumors that may require surgery, and am managing high blood pressure.

I recently went to the emergency room and was diagnosed as having had a TIA—a Transient Ischemic Attack, also called a mini-stroke. This episode led to further tests, which discovered a mass in one lung; followup tests revealed concerning indications about my breasts.

The testing following the TIA also led to the discovery of two brain tumors. After a recent CT scan, indications are that both are benign and my neurosurgeon has decided that brain surgery is not immediately needed. The tumors will need to be monitored, however, and we will do another scan in three months. My neurosurgeon thinks I did not have a TIA back in August, but a sort of seizure. I am getting anti-seizure medication.

I am presently in the process of scheduling lung surgery which will be very soon; the tumor is small and localized enough (apparently) that a less invasive surgery is likely, and indeed these are preferred at the hospital where I will be treated. They will biopsy the mass after removal, but are 99% convinced it is cancer (and I quit smoking over 17 years ago!).

The results of the mammogram for breast cancer were inconclusive, and further tests are coming up.

Tests and treatments and recovery will require time, and I will not be able to work for a while following the surgery. I hope that I will be able to go back to work after recovering from surgery, but the prognosis is not yet clear. Winters in Maine are expensive, and I will need help with the expenses of living as well as with medical bills.

I am currently employed part-time, with some social security. My only insurance is Medicare, which does not by any means cover everything. Costs of tests and treatment can skyrocket very rapidly. I actually have no idea what the total costs of all of this will be -- they are not very communicative about the financial side of things. I do know that robotic or video-assisted surgery, which is what is proposed for my upcoming lung surgery, comes at a price--much more costly than traditional open-chest surgery. And at best, dealing with these costs will be far more than I can manage on my own.

Any donation is accepted with gratitude; no amount is too small to make a difference. Thank you so much for your financial, emotional, and spiritual support.