Help Katrina fight Lymphoma
Brendan and Katrina are a young married couple with an 8-year-old daughter, Akaylia. On August 1st while Katrina was working she began coughing uncontrollably, experiencing intense chest pain and difficulty breathing. Brendan rushed her to the ER at the hospital. The CT scan showed a large mass in her chest. The doctors diagnosed possible lymphoma. She was admitted to the hospital. The next day they did a biopsy of the mass which carried a risk of a collapsed lung. The tumor in her chest was resting on her lung. Thankfully, the biopsy was successful without complications. The results of the biopsy confirmed a diagnosis of non-Hodgkin's lymphoma, a very aggressive cancer. Such a difficult diagnosis for Katrina, a healthy, athletic young woman of 29.
A PET scan revealed an additional four tumors on her intestine, pancreas, and her lymph nodes. The oncologist charted a plan of aggressive chemotherapy. She began chemo treatment on August 16th. Four days later, Katrina was rushed by ambulance to the hospital in the most excruciating pain she had ever experienced. The chemotherapy had liquefied tumors on her intestine, leaving a hole with leakage into her abdomen. She underwent dangerous emergency surgery to attempt to save her life and repair the damage to her intestine. She remained in the hospital for 8 days, during which time she was at great risk for infection. Every day presented another fear. With a compromised immune system, the oncologist was uncertain about her ability to continue chemotherapy. Katrina came home from the hospital on August
27th, but the following day presented new pain and she again spent the day in the ER. The tests didn’t show anything new and it was determined that the pain was still related to the surgery. She has been at home since recovering from surgery, beginning to eat again, starting slowly with juice and soft foods. Her oncologist is hoping to begin a new round of chemotherapy in a couple of weeks. Because lymphoma is aggressive, the chemo treatment will be the same as her first round. We are hoping and praying that it will have positive results without causing the kind of damage that occurred previously.
Katrina has worked as a chef and restaurant manager. She is a hard worker and has been the primary earner for the family. Now she is unemployed and the family’s only source of income until she recovers is Brendan’s limited disability income. Besides an unknown growing amount for Katrina’s medical bills, their expenses for rent, utilities, car, insurance, gas, car maintenance, cell phone, and other bills will be burdensome.
The emotional toll this is taking on this lovely family is great and any help in defraying the financial burden will be gratefully appreciated.
Sincerely,
Katrina's Family and Friends