Help save our mom from stage 4 breast cancer

Dear family, friends, and supporters:

On December 12th, two days after the loss of her older brother and best friend, Wes, to cancer, our mom Tammy, was admitted into the hospital for what seemed like a bad stomach bug; scans and tests revealed stage 4 breast cancer. After beginning chemotherapy and hormone treatment it was determined that her cancer was beyond the reach of conventional chemotherapy. The diagnosis came out of nowhere and left our family devastated. Our mom has been religious about her health, exercise, and diet, and she, only 54 years old, has taken great care of herself.

A wife and mother of two boys, Tammy, is an incredible woman who has devoted her life to helping others. She has been teaching English and literature to her middle- and high-school students for nearly 30 years and passionately serves God and her community through her work. My brother and I have been incredibly blessed to be raised by such a loving, sincere, and selfless mother, and so many people in her life have been touched by the beauty of her character.

While the first days were a blur with word of her “terminal” condition, Tammy isn’t about to resign. She went to the drawing board, researching alternative treatment options. As is no surprise to those who know her well, she kept her head held high, determined and unafraid of a less conventional route.

This is where the story pivots toward hope and where Envita Medical Center comes on the scene.

Envita Medical Center, situated only 20 minutes away from her in Scottsdale, Arizona, serves as a leading hub for personalized oncology treatment. With almost two decades of experience, Envita has consistently aided patients, often with cases parallel to Tammy’s, in surpassing outcomes seen in other renowned cancer centers. Unlike other clinics which told Tammy the only possible outcome was just extending her time, Envita’s exclusive, tailored treatment options and advanced integrative personalized medicine give her a real opportunity for healing and hope. Tammy described feeling “very encouraged” after her in-person meeting with the care team, noting their commitment, profound love, and compassion, all of which she sees as integral to the successful healing journey other “incurable” patients have experienced.

Tammy has lived an amazing and full life and one that we feel, God willing, is not finished. Our family is hopeful in the belief that God will bring a restoration to our mother and that the most advanced and effective treatment will be the key to healing her. We will do everything in our power to ensure that she gets the best medical care to eradicate this invasive cancer. Our dream is for her to be healed, for her to see her children get married, to meet her grandchildren, to continue the work she loves so much, and to carry on spending time with her husband Derek and our family. We believe that there is so much more life has to offer our mom.

Insurance covers only a small fraction of her treatment through Envita, and your donation would help us cover the remaining cost of her treatment which totals over $200,000. Though the cost is high, we are hopeful that this treatment will put her cancer into remission, and anything that you can contribute would be greatly appreciated by our family!