Jennifer Slate Memorial Fund

My sister Jennifer was so incredibly strong! She had a long, hard 3-year battle with cancer.

Her tumor was inoperable and aggressive. Jennifer went through 2 rounds of chemo/radiation therapy and she beat the cancer! However, the radiation damaged her esophagus and she lost her ability to swallow over time. She went in for a procedure to repair her esophagus. The tumor caused some erosion in her esophagus that was repaired with the stent; as well as a small hole in her lung. Overall, the procedure went well and Doctors anticipated a full recovery.

During her recovery from the stent placement, she started to have difficulty breathing. Some fluid and bacteria had entered the hole in her lung causing pneumonia.

She could not breathe! Watching her struggle to take a breath was so difficult! The medical personnel worked incredibly hard over several days with different breathing treatments and machines to help her. Eventually, they suggested she go on a ventilator for a few days to help her body rest and heal. Her prospects were still good and the ventilator was helping. After a couple of days on the vent, they performed a test to see if she was ready to come off. During that procedure, her damaged esophagus collapsed. Nothing could be done...we had to let her go.

She fought so long and so hard and was doing so well...her death came as a huge shock! None of us were expecting it. It was not supposed to happen. Not now.

This memorial fund will help cover her end-of-life expenses and fund tributes for her Sons and donations in her name to the animal-based charities she loved.