Help Julie Daugherty: 150 Chemo Rounds & Counting

This is my dear friend, Julie.
Diagnosed in November 2011 with stage 4 metastasized colon cancer, this mother of two (basically 3, including John!) BUSY boys was given the gut punch of a 24-26 month life expectancy. 

That was 110 months ago. 
That was 7 surgeries and nearly 150 rounds of chemo ago.
The “Unfortunates”...
Julie’s amazing team of doctors…while they continue to read, learn, consult, and research, have told her that treatment options are dwindling. 

After 110 months of defying scientific and medical logic or explanation, Julie's most recent scan shows several active tumors in her torso; specifically her lung, liver, diaphragm, pelvis, and spine. 

Despite the success of her past 7 surgeries, her current state is inoperable. 

Her situation currently does not qualify for any clinical trials.

The Cancer Center has said they’re running out of options. They have a cocktail
of two chemo pills she will try over the next few months. This new regimen started on January 13, but with only one of the pills for now because of its terrible side effects. Hopefully Julie will be able to add the second pill in a month or two. 
This lady has more will, grit, determination and strength (not to mention INTELLIGENCE!) than any person I have ever known! After learning her fry-pan-in-the-face kind of life-altering diagnosis, Julie spoke of her boys (ages 11 and 14 at the time) on CaringBridge writing, “I told them that I was going to do everything in my power to fight this in any way, shape or form to at least make it to their graduations and then my 50th birthday, if not beyond.” 

AND SHE HAS. 

Jp graduated high school in 2014 and Danny in 2017 and we are WELL past her 50th birthday! Ok, not really that far… ;) 

Over the past 9 years, Julie has RARELY asked for any kind of help whatsoever and if she did it was NEVER financial. Somehow she has kept this unrelenting positivity and strength through the chemo, the radiation, the nausea, the allergic reactions, the surgeries, the recoveries, the hope-lifting good scan results, and the heart-wrenching bad scan results. 

BUT NOW, I am forcing this help on her despite her humble pride and insistence that “things will be fine". 

The out of pocket medical expenses over the past 9 years you can imagine have been  O V E R W H E L M I N G. 

Julie has never had a vacation alone with Jp nor Danny. 
The four of them have not taken a vacation together since 2013 when they drove to Arizona. EIGHT YEARS AGO.

I would love for her to have some peace and lightness in her days, knowing the financial burden isn’t quite so heavy. 

I would love for her to be able to take a mother-son trip away with Jp and then with Danny, where they are each granted time to JUST BE TOGETHER.

I would love for the four of them to be able to take a vacation without the weight of cancer treatments and medical payments lingering over them like a wispy black cloud.

Maybe she and John even get their bucket list trip to Italy?!

Please help in lifting a bit of the burden from The Daugherty’s shoulders. Anything you are willing to donate is graciously and humbly appreciated. I understand the current economic situation has been difficult on many, so if you are not in a position to donate I respectfully ask for your prayers and maybe even repost and forward this on to others. Thank you in advance for your support of my very dear friend!

With hope and gratitude,  

Sarah

Taken from Julie's CaringBridge from 2012, 
“Don’t ever take a day for granted. Learn all you can learn, be all you can be, and do all you can do.”