Help Leigh Ann with her Fight Against Stage 4 Colon Cancer

My cousin Leigh Ann, who has been more like a best friend and sister to me, really needs our help. At just 35 years old, she was diagnosed with Stage 3 colon cancer—something no one expects at such a young age. I created this GoFundMe account to help ease the burden of the mounting medical bills.

In September of 2022, just months after giving birth to her second child, Leigh Ann started experiencing pain in her abdominal area. Concerned, she scheduled an appointment with a GI specialist, and after months of ruling out other causes, she urged doctors to schedule a colonoscopy. It was then that they discovered an orange-sized tumor in her colon. She had surgery to remove the tumor and reattach the colon. Afterwards, she had months of chemotherapy, which led to severe side effects such as nausea and fatigue, making it difficult for her to take care of her two young sons, then 2 years and 1 year old.

In June of 2023, after completing 5 months of chemo, a CT scan showed the cancer had spread to her abdominal wall. Her cancer had progressed to stage 4. Leigh Ann had another surgery—this one the most extensive yet. Doctors performed a 7-hour HIPEC surgery (hot chemo bath) after removing the cancerous mass in her abdomen. Recovery was tough on Leigh Ann because it meant she wasn’t able to take care of her boys on her own. Slowly, Leigh Ann’s body recovered, and she was hoping she would be cancer-free moving forward. Shortly after recovering from surgery, Leigh Ann had some belly button discomfort and went in to see the surgeon again. After a biopsy, they discovered cancer in her belly button. The surgeon removed her umbilicus soon after. Fingers crossed, they moved on.

Then, in February of 2024, CT scans showed the cancer had spread to her liver. Around the same time, Leigh Ann had some additional GI symptoms and scheduled another colonoscopy. Incredibly, doctors found another tumor in her colon. In March 2024, Leigh Ann started more chemo to combat the cancer in her liver and colon. After 8 months of chemo, scans showed the cancer was developing a resistance, and the plan was to do targeted radiation to get rid of the liver lesions. However, insurance refused radiation treatment, stating it was experimental. After a back-and-forth battle, insurance finally decided to cover the cost of radiation. Before starting radiation, doctors ordered a CT scan to make sure there were no other areas of suspicion. Devastatingly, the scans showed another tumor between her rectum and uterus, and doctors agreed that Leigh Ann would need another very extensive surgery. The doctor’s plan is to do another HIPEC surgery and additionally: remove the two lesions on her liver, take out the tumor in her colon, remove the mass between her uterus and rectum, and do a complete hysterectomy. Depending on what the doctor discovers, she may take out her spleen, appendix, and remove anything else that looks or feels suspicious. Leigh Ann will be hospitalized for 5-7 days and recovery will be 6-8 weeks. Hopefully, these last procedures will kick the cancer into remission.

Leigh Ann is a devoted wife to TD and mother to Johnny, 4, and Hudson, 3. This diagnosis has not only turned her life upside down but deeply impacted her family. As she's focused on healing, we want to lessen the financial burden, so she and TD can focus on what really matters—fighting cancer and getting back to their young children. TD's insurance is limited, and her out-of-pocket costs are crippling her family financially as she fights for her life.

Any support you can provide, whether it is through donation or sharing her story, is greatly appreciated.

Thank you,

Caitlin