Help Our Friend Jill Denise

Dear Friends—

Our friend needs our help.  Jill has received the staggering news that she has Metastatic Breast Cancer, and that there is no cure.

Jill was reluctant to ask for help, but we are jumping in and stepping up for our classmate.


Many of you know Jill Denise from our days in Wyoming - Class of ‘86.


Jill is someone we all admire for many reasons. First, the way she cares for her sweet brother Robbie. Robbie has had one kidney transplant and now is in need of a second. Jill is his biggest cheerleader, and they light up each other’s lives.

Jill also helps care for her mother who is also dealing with some health challenges. And earlier this year, Jill’s sweet father passed away.


Now, Jill is in the fight for her own life. Five years to the day, after feeling hopeful that she had won the battle with breast cancer, Jill suffered a fracture of two vertebra in her spine while lifting something heavy at work. What seemed like a very serious fracture turned into her worst fears - Jill was informed by her doctor that the cancer had returned and spread to the bones in her spine. They diagnosed her with Metastatic Breast Cancer, and informed her that it is terminal and that there is no cure; only management.  This means that Jill will be on chemotherapy for the rest of her life.


For those of you who haven’t followed Jill’s story since her original diagnosis with breast cancer in 2014, here’s a little background. Right around that time, Jill’s brother, Robbie, was in need of a kidney transplant.  Jill was going to selflessly donate a kidney to Robbie, but unfortunately found out she had breast cancer, so was disqualified as a candidate. Jill had to turn some of her energy towards her own recovery, but it did not stop her heroic campaign to find a donor for her brother.  She was also helping to care for her mom, after her own kidney transplant, and father who was suffering from dementia.  Jill was the rock of her family, all while fighting cancer.


This is where we come in.  Her treatments and surgeries will be very costly, and with no ability to work, Jill needs our help.


We are all in awe of Jill’s strength and beautiful, positive energy.

She is a warrior woman...a superhero to many of us.

So let’s do what we can to help her continue to fly!


If you are able to donate to the go fund me we set up for Jill - it would be greatly appreciated.


Warmest Regards,


Team Jilly


Linda Carballo                            Christina Kasper                 Liz Holzman Hagen

Jill van Lokeren                          Michele Ballew                    Andrea Frieder

Jennifer Plehn Wegryn         Laura Striker                        Deborah Lee Snyder

                                                             Kelly Gilgo Glick


Jill's Journey

Jill's New Spine

Best Siblings Ever!!