Carol & Phil’s Support Fund

**Edit**: We are overwhelmed with the support we are receiving from each and every one of you and to those who's thoughts and prayers we have been in during this time. We've received an incredible amount of love and support and cannot express how grateful we are.

Unfortunately, my mother lost her battle against this disease on Saturday, February 15th, 2020. She was loved by so, so many and we will be making plans for some kind of memorial service or celebration of life in the near future.  Thank you so much for making my mother and family feel so loved and supported during these past few months. We love you all. 

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My mom, Carol Scibetta, now Harris, as many of you know has been diagnosed with stage 4 esophageal cancer with metastasis to her spinal fluid.

In mid November 2019, she was sitting in the sun in our backyard, one of her favorite pastimes, and was hit with a dizzy spell. After more dizziness the following days, she went to the doctor and was diagnosed with vertigo. Over the next month the vertigo increased and intense headaches ensued as well as other odd neurological symptoms. 

After several ER trips, a couple days in the hospital here and there, and multiple mis-diagnoses she was admitted to Beth Isreal Plymouth where they discovered abnormalities in her brain. My family and I made the decision to get her transferred to Beth Israel Boston where they also discovered a large mass in her esophagus. The next day, she was suddenly in critical condition and had an emergency brain operation to relieve the pressure in her head via a shunt. After this, she was symptom free for the most part but this is when they were able to collect spinal fluid for testing, showing the cancer cells. 

At this point it was known, leptomeningeal carcinoma was the primary cause of her sickness, stemming from the cancerous tumor on her esophagus. The doctors told us it was life-limiting, and not promising that treatment would help but that it was an option.

My mom is the most positive person I’ve ever met, with such a strong will to live and she decided to fight as hard as she could to beat this. Through weeks of radiation and chemotherapy, she kept this positivity and strength up and pushed as hard as she could to survive this, with her loved ones supporting her every step of the way. We even squeezed in the most beautiful wedding for her and her partner, Phil, of 16.5 years between all the treatments, ever changing symptoms and doctors visits.

Unfortunately, the treatments’ side effects began to take their toll and her blood counts rapidly dropped leading to blood clots and pneumonia as well as another hospital stay. She was discharged from the hospital at the beginning of February with hospice care, ceasing any further treatment.

Through all this time, and especially during these past two weeks, Phil has been devoted to caring for her 24/7. He’s sacrificed everything to care for the love of his life and we are now nearing the end of my mom’s journey battling this cruel disease. We have a long, hard road ahead of us and are worried for what the future holds after she is gone. 

I am asking for support from all of my mom’s loved one’s to help us, Phil especially, through these next few months as we grieve and start tackling difficult tasks regarding our home and possessions. I am hoping to cover the next few months of the mortgage and other house and medical bills with the proceeds of this fundraiser. 

We’ve had such immense support already from everybody we know and are so so so grateful for the amount of help, prayers and love we’ve received. Thank you so much everyone, there will never be enough words to express how lucky we feel to be surrounded by so much love and support. We love you all and thank you from the bottom of our hearts. 

Love, Kelsey & Kelly, Carol & Phil