Fundraiser for Laura Magana

In October, Laura began experiencing skin issues that were believed to be related to allergies. Symptoms kept progressing and she went for a second opinion and additional labs. A CT scan on 11/9/23 revealed a small mass in her pancreas that was blocking her bile duct and causing her to become jaundiced. She was told she'd need surgery to place a stent in the duct. On 11/16/23, the stent was implanted, and the mass was biopsied. On 11/27/23, Laura received the devastating news that the mass was malignant -- she has pancreatic cancer.

According to the American Cancer Society, pancreatic cancer is one of the most lethal cancers. Data published in 2023 indicated an average of 12% of people diagnosed with pancreatic cancer lived 5 years. This is largely due to the fact that signs and symptoms typically do not show until the disease is advanced. Like most cancers, possible treatments include radiation and chemotherapy, but they seldom produce a cure in people with pancreatic cancer. Fewer than 20% of patients are candidates for surgery to remove the cancer (known as the Whipple procedure) because the disease has spread beyond the pancreas at diagnoses. Those that do undergo the surgery have better odds of survival and a cure.

Fortunately, Laura's mass is relatively small and located in an area that caused symptoms quickly. On 12/1/23, she met with an amazing team in Rochester who confirmed through extensive testing that her cancer has not spread, making her a candidate for the Whipple procedure! She will undergo 6 months of chemo (which she started on 12/18/23) and, if all goes well, she will get the procedure done next summer in Rochester. Her doctors expect she will have about a 10-day hospitalization and 8 weeks of recovery at home after the surgery.

While we remain hopeful that Laura can beat the odds, this journey has and will continue to take a lot out of her physically and financially. She has already had to drop to part-time work while the medical bills roll in. Laura and Anthony are extremely hard-working and proud people. They've lived frugally and saved every penny for years with the goal of building a house on our grandparent's property only to have it all ripped away because of this. They have allowed me to start this campaign knowing every donation will help relieve the financial burden of this disease and allow them to focus on what is really important.

From the bottom of my heart, thank you for donation, shares, and support. I want nothing more than to see Laura be a part of every one of her daughter's major milestones.

Kelly (Laura's sister)