Assistance for Mary Crockett Hill

On Tuesday, Jan. 3 our dear friend, Mary Crockett Hill, was diagnosed with stage IV colon cancer that is also present in her liver. Because the cancer is so pervasive, the doctors’ main goal is to help her control it and live as full a life as possible with it.

(You can stay updated via Mary’s CaringBridge site. This is also a great place to leave her notes and good vibes.)

To know Mary is to love her. She is a beloved mother, wife, sister, community member, Roanoke College professor, poet, novelist, and treasured friend. She's an extraordinary person, full of love and humor and kindness and joy. She has been so generous with her time, her talents, her friendship -- with so many things. It is our turn to return that generosity in as many ways as we can.

In the next few weeks she is going to start a 6-months round of chemo. For her chemo, she’ll be at the Salem branch of Blue Ridge Cancer Care, so she’ll be closer to family. And on Wednesday, January 18th, she will go to UVA for testing to see if she qualifies for the clinical trial UVA is currently doing.

Once Mary is done with the initial chemo, she’ll be in something called “maintenance,” which means that she'll continue on a background level of meds and her medical team will check on her a lot and start full chemo again if things get out of hand.

Mary and her family and friends are praying daily and full of hope. Mary is on medical leave and for now has benefits through her work; however, the medical bills will still be a major issue for Mary and her family. The unexpected and out-of-pocket expenses incurred for her many chemotherapy appointments and potential trips to UVA; hotel stays; food needs for visiting and assisting family members; Mary's own strict organic dietary needs: it all adds up very quickly. Mary and her family need every ounce of their collective energy to focus on positive outcomes, and concerns about money would hamper that energy.

Please consider donating so that Mary and her family can feel confident that they will stay afloat. They'll truly be buoyed by your generosity and love. Any amount will help.

And finally: Please share this far and wide, THANK YOU so much!!!