Help Debra Tau Heal from Rare Cancer

Hi Friends! This is Shelly Marks reaching out to rally support for my dear sister, Debra Tau, and help her heal to overcome a rare type of cancer. If you know Debra, you have been blessed by her intentional love and words of encouragement. She speaks life into so many of us, and now Debra needs us to help support her life. She has been committed to living a holistic and healthy lifestyle, and yet, she has mysteriously suffered a myriad of health challenges. Debra has been diagnosed with stage 4 leiomyosarcoma, a very rare form of cancer that is of unknown cause, aggressive in nature, hard-to-treat, and has a high recurrence rate. This is a reccurrence of the same cancer she had in 2022. Despite her diligent prevention efforts, the cancer has now metastasized into a new high-grade tumor.

Debra’s oncology team has delivered a grim prognosis. Her tumor’s location makes it extremely risky to surgically remove because the procedure could damage multiple organs within her abdomen. Additionally, its location eliminates the possibility of using any form of radiation, and chemotherapy has a low response rate for sarcomas. According to multiple oncologists who have been consulted about Debra’s case, the overall ineffectiveness of standard oncology treatments for sarcomas leaves her with a bleak 15% survival rate. Therefore, the use of any of these treatments for Debra are considered to only be “palliative care”. Additionally, even if Debra were to proceed with this type of treatment, it would dramatically affect her quality of life and have a devastating impact on her ability to mother her beloved boys, Thaddeus and Phelix.

BUT! We see God working and healing! As a family we feel this is not the end of the story! We see God fighting for Debra… and… Debra is a determined fighter too! As you may know, she has been fighting hard for the past 2.5 years with a rare disabling neurological condition called Complex Regional Pain Syndrome (CRPS). Persevering through chronic burning nerve pain and its many difficult side effects, Debra has tenaciously worked to regain her mobility and function as normally as possible, despite being disabled. We are confident that Debra can fight to overcome cancer too!

Regardless of the poor prognosis that Debra has received, she has decided to live her life with Thaddeus and Phelix as normally and as fully as possible… and… she is not giving up! Debra has a heart of hope, a faith-filled mind, and a courageous spirit that is resolute on healing her cancer and continuing to raise her sons. With the help of family, she has thoroughly researched evidence-based alternative therapies outside of standard oncology treatments which have shown positive effectiveness for specifically treating sarcomas. We have been blessed to find an integrative cancer healing center within the Phoenix Valley near to where Debra lives and have had an encouraging consultation with a team of integrative oncologists that includes both medical doctors (MDs) and naturopathic doctors (NDs). These physicians offer an out-patient program with a high survivability rate that gives great hope that Debra’s cancer will be healed, and she will be able to live a long life free of another cancer recurrence.

Our hearts are full of reassuring faith for a positive outcome for Debra, but she needs all of our help to make these alternative treatments possible. The integrative cancer healing program is expensive (as all cancer treatments are) and, unfortunately, most alternative treatments are not covered by health insurance. While the financial need is greater than what Debra can bear on her own, we as a community can wrap our arms around Debra and invest in her life as a treasured daughter, sister, friend, and as a mother to Thaddeus and Phelix. Will you please consider joining with us to help fund Debra’s cancer healing treatments? Every donation will make a difference and be deeply appreciated!

Besides financial support, there are other practical ways we can help. The healing cancer program will require long 9-hour days, 5 days a week, for a minimum of 6 weeks for Debra. While she is expecting to still be able to be present for her children in the mornings and evenings, she will need some extra support while going through treatment. Debra will need a volunteer “caretaker” approximately one day per week to drive her and be with her for her most intensive treatments. Additional support will include providing vegetarian meals for Thaddeus and Phelix’s dinners, as well as taking them out for some fun on occasion. Sending words of encouragement to Debra and her family will be particularly uplifting during this time. The most important support that we can all give is prayer—praying with hope-filled hearts for Debra’s healing, as well as for comfort for her boys and extended family.

Due to the aggressive nature of sarcomas, time is of the essence. It is most optimal for Debra to begin treatment as soon as possible. We are hoping for a start date of October 2nd. Let’s rally together and make it happen quickly for Debra!

Debra, Thaddeus, Phelix, and her extended family thank you for your loving support! We will do our best to post weekly updates on Debra’s healing journey… so… stay tuned!

“...Be strong and courageous. Do not be frightened, and do not be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.” – Joshua 1:9