Help Teacher Beat Brain Tumor

If you know Erin Laffey, you know she hates asking for help. But when she confessed that her medical expenses were scaring her more than the actual surgeries and treatments for her brain tumor, we knew we needed to do something.

While visiting family in Georgia on July 13th, Erin suffered a seizure, fell and injured her head. The emergency squad transported her to a local hospital, where she was treated for her head trauma, but the seizures continued. An MRI confirmed they were caused by a brain tumor, and surgery was performed. The surgeon was able to send tissue for biopsy and relieve pressure from bleeding, but not stop the seizures.  

After being discharged from the facility in Georgia, Erin and her parents returned home to Virginia. Since returning home, she has spent two weekends in the hospital for seizures, five of them on 8/07, and another one on 8/14, both events that kept her in the hospital from Friday - Sunday. 

The pathology results revealed an aggressive anaplastic oligodendroglioma that will require ongoing and long term treatment. Arrangements were made for follow up treatment at the tumor clinic of UVA Medical Center, and Erin has since met with her UVA neuro-oncologist and surgeon.

Erin’s journey is just beginning. Her treatment will begin with a combination of radiotherapy and chemotherapy.  She will also require many additional medications for control of her seizures and MRIs to evaluate tumor response. Subsequent treatment will be determined accordingly. She has also agreed to participate in a clinical trial offered by her neuro-oncologist. (Clinical trials are studies of new treatments that provide a chance to try the latest treatment options.) At this time, surgery would do more harm than good, with the neurosurgeon believing it would result in either paralysis or other issues that would decrease quality of life at this time but will possibly be considered again after radiation and chemotherapy have begun to have an effect.  

She will be able to receive most of her radiation here in Hampton Roads at Norfolk General to cut down on travel costs, but there will still be multiple trips that will need to made to Charlottesville over the next several months.  

Erin has been a cherished teacher at Peninsula Catholic for the past seven years, providing support, encouragement, amusement, and incredible cupcakes to her students. While she was in the hospital, after having her brain tumor biopsied, her greatest joy came from hearing that many of her students did well on their AP Government test. (This was so important to her that it was one of the few group texts her close friends received while we impatiently awaited details on her medical condition.)

She recently completed her master’s degree in educational administration, woefully submitted her resignation as a teacher to the school in the winter, and began pursuing the next steps in her dream to be an assistant principal. Then a global pandemic and a brain tumor hit. In other words, when her teaching contract ends on August 31st,  she’s officially unemployed.

For now, as the medical expenses accumulate, she isn’t permitted to work or drive, and she’s living with her parents for around-the-clock care.

While there are many questions left to be answered, two things are certain:

-This is going to be expensive, as bills are already piling up

-She needs our help.

We appreciate anything you can offer to help relieve her financial burden at this time. All funds will go directly to Erin and her family for treatment, prescriptions, and recovery.

If you can’t donate, you can still help by sharing this GoFundMe link with your friends. Thank you!