Help Christine Beat Cancer…Twice!

After nearly 2 years of back pain, Christine was finally fed up with the misdiagnoses and run around from multiple practitioners. She pleaded for one more MRI, and at long last it was discovered there was a mass in and around her T5-T6 vertebrae, traveling down 2 ribs on the right. It took 2 biopsies to diagnose her with a “one in a million” vascular sarcoma called Epithelioid Hemangioendothelioma, or EHE. 

In late July she underwent a tumor excision with partial rib resection and posterior instrumentation at T4-T7. The tumor was removed intact, recovery was relatively uneventful and we were hopeful that the worst was over. Then in October, she received results from the work-up done at Dana Farber Cancer Institute in Boston, who has been following her case as sarcoma specialists. Unfortunately there are positive margins, meaning the cancer is still present. So it was decided in October that 7.5 weeks of proton radiation would be her best course of treatment going forward. Luckily, Mass General is one of the few in the country with this advanced technology; but Christine lives over 2 hours from Boston and treatments are daily M-F. 

Adding insult to injury, Christine had a PET scan in September which incidentally found 5 thyroid nodules. 2 of the suspicious spots were biopsied and both resulted as malignant papillary thyroid carcinoma. What are the odds, seriously? Once this hurdle with her primary cancer treatment is competed at the end of January, she will next require a total thyroidectomy, with possible chemo/radiation to follow. All we can do now if hope that it doesn’t spread in the coming months. 

If you know Christine, you know she is a hard-working, beautiful, resilient and intelligent woman. Nobody deserves this type of news, especially a 30-year-old single mother with a bright future ahead. Spending this time away from her pride and joy is already taking a toll, not to mention long-term disability from work, current and impending medical bills, and the stresses of her reality. With travel expenses, lodging and childcare all major concerns, our resources are running thin. 

If you are able this holiday season to spread a little extra joy to a family in great need, any contribution would be greatly appreciated. Moral support and leads on part-time childcare in the Canton or Boston areas would also be welcomed. Thank you all.