Help Denise Dietz get life saving surgery in NYC

Hello friends and family,

Many of you know that Denise Dietz had a terrible bout of Covid last winter and was hospitalized for 41 days before heading to assistive care for another 40 days. She's since recovered and has been off of oxygen for a while now, which is such a huge milestone. Yay!

Unfortunately, while Denise was in the hospital with Covid, a mass was found in her chest on her CT scan. At the time, the pulmonologist said the focus was on keeping her alive and we agreed. Once out of the hospital and rehab care, Denise went though further imaging, and then a biopsy. The mass was proven to be a Thymoma.

Thymomas are very rare forms of cancer in the thymus (tiny organ between the lungs and heart). They are slow growing, and the most effective treatment is surgery to remove them. Since Thymomas are located behind the sternum and in between the heart and lungs, this is a very complex surgery.

Thymomas are so rare that not many oncologists have experience with them. Only 400 thymomas are diagnosed a year! Denise’s first oncologist sent her to the U of M, and the U of M surgeons did not have enough thymoma patient experience to make us feel comfortable. Denise’s surgery needs to be done effectively and handled by the most experienced team of experts to ensure the best outcome.

The Thymoma/thoracic surgery team at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center (MSKCC) in New York City is literally the most experienced in the world. They diagnose and treat more thymomas each year than any other cancer center. We contacted them, had a telehealth appointment, and everything fell together. Amazingly, Denise’s insurance covers treatment at MSKCC. The surgeon and his team are amazing and agreed to take on her case.

MSKCC performs over 200 thymoma surgeries a year. The surgery is planned for May of this year.

Denise is required to be in NYC for a minimum of 4 weeks. One week before her surgery for more tests, scanning and planning, and then another 2-3 weeks after surgery for recovery before she can come home to Minnesota.

The surgery itself will be expensive, but there will be additional expenses for travel for Denise and her caregivers, food and lodging for almost a month, etc.

We are asking for your help and support. By help, we mean through monetary donations. This is not easy for the family to ask for, but Denise needs assistance in receiving her life saving care.

Any amount is appreciated! As Denise’s surgeon said, this is a marathon not a sprint. We need to get her out there as soon as possible to give her the best shot in life.

Venmo is preferred for contributing as GoFundMe charges fees both off the total amount donated and off every individual donation, but either method will be accepted and so very appreciated!

Venmo info is @Denise-Dietz-06 (last 4 of her phone # is 2342).

We are very excited to be working with the world-renowned Thymoma Cancer surgical team at MSKCC. Having complete confidence in our team is a huge relief.

Please know that all prayers and Healing Energy are graciously accepted!

Many Thanks,

Denise and family