Julie Palermo's journey with Pancreatic Cancer

Hello, my name is Joe Palermo, and I am fundraising on behalf of one of the most amazing people many of us have had the fortune of having bless our hearts and lives. A woman who has shown so many of us what a friend, a mother, a sister, a grandma, a coworker, and a nurse we should strive to be, my mom, Julie Palermo. As many of you know, but some may not, my mom was diagnosed with stage 4 pancreatic cancer just about 3.5 months ago, and has been actively battling it since the first moment she received her news. This battle sadly left her unable to continue working roughly 18mos before she was planning on retiring. Devastatingly there is no cure for pancreatic cancer, and at the stage it was discovered treatment options are extremely limited. Prior to the onset of this horrible illness my mom was an otherwise healthy woman looking at retirement just around the corner, and thankfully due to this health my mom has been a candidate for the most aggressive form of chemo, and has shown successful response, as the tumor appears to be diminishing. This treatment has allowed for my family and I to continue to experience milestones, and create memories for, and with, my mom. While the treatment has had many ups and downs, and my mom has experienced a rollercoaster of "good days" and "less than great" days it has certainly improved the quality of her life, while also allowing us all a little more time to bask in her light. Unfortunately this weekend we received, the Sunday before her Monday morning appointment to start her next round of treatment, a call to inform us that her insurance had been terminated due to a "reduction in hours." This is something we were expecting to happen in September, so it felt as though we were blind sided, and it was the first time I have seen my mom be mentally "defeated". Naturally I started doing everything I could, with my limited experience and resources in the area, discovering that she will not be eligible for Medicare for 7mos, and her Social Security payments exceed the qualification for Medicaid by under $300 a month. We are currently looking through marketplace, and have found a handful of plans that, while costly, may provide her the care we need, but we fear it may alter the details of her current treatment. The amount of stress this process is causing my mom is heartbreaking. Upon some hard discussion, and some deep contemplation my mom and I have decided to reach out for your help. My moms insurance, to keep the plan she has had, is almost 75% of her fixed income before any deductibles or copays. My goal is to alleviate my moms stress by raising enough money to pay for her existing insurance until she becomes eligible for Medicare in February of 2024. This would allow for us to be able to insure that my mom continues to get the exact same quality of care that she is currently receiving. I would like to thank everyone who has stepped up during these trying times to show my mom how much she is loved. The showering of love my mom has received is a blessing so few of us ever have the fortunate of experiencing, and for that my family thanks you all.