Helping Our Baby Sis Through Her Cancer Journey

Recently our baby sister was given the news no one wants to here. Your biopsy came back as malignant. Cancer of the parotid gland which is the largest of the salivary glands. Most parotid tumors are not cancer. Malignant tumors are very rare and only 1 per 100,000 people are diagnosed with this type of cancer per year.  After the mass in her face kept getting bigger she underwent a CT scan, MRI and finally a biopsy which confirmed it was cancer. She consulted with a ENT doctor here in Tallahassee. But  family members convinced her to get a second opinion at Mayo Clinic in Jacksonville, FL.  She is scheduled to have a  Parotidectomy on July 20th. The  surgeon said he will look at her lymph nodes to see if any need to be removed. Also, she will not know if she will need radiation treatment until after surgery. This type of surgery is very tedious and risky because of the location of the surgery there is risk of damaging her facial nerves which could cause facial paralysis.  Dawn is very nervous as this will be her first surgery. However, the early diagnosis, prognosis and reassurance that has been given to her by the surgeon has been very positive. 

As some of you may not know Dawn is the primary provider for her family since her husbands auto accident almost 5 years ago.  She has expressed concerns about how she was going to financially afford all of the sudden and unexpected expenses that will occur. Such as medical expenses, co pays, traveling expenses back and forth to Mayo. Also, possible time off from work without pay. Dawn has a lot on her plate right now. She works hard everyday and always has a positive attitude and smile on her face. Even in her toughest times in life she has never asked for any help. She  is very independent and has a lot of pride. But right now Dawn needs our help and support. That’s why we are reaching out to our family and friends during this difficult time. To help ease her mind and take this worry and burden off from her so she can focus on healing and getting better. 

Anything you can donate will be so appreciated. And if you would like to send directly to Dawn you can private message us and we can provide you with her address. And please continue to pray for our baby sister. Thank you all for your love and support.  

Love-Big Sisters  Diane and Michelle