Kindness for the Kellys
Donation protected
For quite some time now, we have been fighting with the idea of creating a GoFundMe account for our family. The truth is, for several years, our family has been silently struggling, both financially and emotionally, with our father’s chronic illness and unemployment. Our dad, Bob Kelly, who is 54 years old, has been denied Social Security Disability Benefits, despite being deemed unable to work by his doctor at this time. Our parents are not the kind to ever ask for help, and so we have been doing our best to get by.
Recently we feel as though things can’t get worse. Unfortunately, our family is now facing a new struggle. Several months ago our mother, Mary Ellen Kelly, started to notice a significant change in her energy level and began experiencing intermittent gastrointestinal discomfort. As a kindergarten teacher, she brushed it off, like many others would, attributing her symptoms to viruses that are so often spread through elementary schools. Our family began to worry, however, as our mom experienced sudden and drastic weight loss this spring. By the end of this summer, our mother had lost around fifteen pounds, prompting her to finally visit her doctor.
In mid-September, Mary Ellen received a CAT scan of her abdomen and pelvis, and was immediately called back in to the doctor’s office for her results. That same day, she learned that the scan revealed a large, 5-centimeter mass in her colon, along with an enlarged spleen and lymph nodes throughout her abdomen, pelvis, and below her lungs. Our mom was informed that the mass appeared cancerous, but for an official diagnosis, a biopsy would need to be obtained during a colonoscopy.
On October 18, 2016, after multiple tests, doctor's appointments, and almost a month of uncertainty, Mary Ellen was diagnosed with Stage IV Mantle Cell Lymphoma. MCL is a rare form of non-Hodgkin lymphoma—a cancer that affects the immune system, and which is most often diagnosed in an advanced stage due to its few, non-specific symptoms. It comprises approximately 5% of all non-Hodgkin lymphoma cases. The good news is that our mom’s cancer is slow-growing; however, it has unfortunately already spread to not only her colon, but also her blood and bone marrow. A recent PET scan also revealed cancerous lesions in lymph nodes throughout our mother’s neck, chest, abdomen, and pelvis.
This past week a board of oncologists reviewed our mom’s case and decided unanimously in favor of an aggressive treatment approach. This treatment is based on the advanced stage of her lymphoma, as well as her prior good health and young age of 53. Treatment will include chemotherapy every three weeks, with alternating clinic and hospital visits, followed by stem-cell transplantation. The goal of treatment is for our mom to be in remission as long as possible. Although MCL is a treatable cancer, there is a chance it will come back. At this point, the future is uncertain, but we know our mother will need frequent monitoring for the rest of her life, and possibly require future treatments.
Our mother is a devoted friend who has never hesitated to support her friends and family who have experienced similar struggles. She has been a dedicated teacher at St. Mary – St. Michael School in Derby, CT for over fifteen years. This week, she began a medical leave of absence from the job she loves and will begin chemotherapy treatment in a few days. This will be a tough and long fight for her. Our goal is to relieve some of the financial burden already resting on our family, in hopes to ease both of our parents’ stress, and to ensure that our mother can truly focus on her health and well-being going forward.
Our family would be incredibly grateful to anyone willing to donate and provide relief for our situation. If you are not in the position to help financially, we ask that you simply share this message to spread the word. And whether you know my mother personally or not, please send her some kind and positive words.
As residents of Seymour, CT, we have seen our community accomplish some amazing things—if our mom can receive even a small sliver of that positive energy we know it will help her tremendously.
Thank you so much for taking the time to read this!
- Erica, Robert Brennan, and Lauren Kelly
Recently we feel as though things can’t get worse. Unfortunately, our family is now facing a new struggle. Several months ago our mother, Mary Ellen Kelly, started to notice a significant change in her energy level and began experiencing intermittent gastrointestinal discomfort. As a kindergarten teacher, she brushed it off, like many others would, attributing her symptoms to viruses that are so often spread through elementary schools. Our family began to worry, however, as our mom experienced sudden and drastic weight loss this spring. By the end of this summer, our mother had lost around fifteen pounds, prompting her to finally visit her doctor.
In mid-September, Mary Ellen received a CAT scan of her abdomen and pelvis, and was immediately called back in to the doctor’s office for her results. That same day, she learned that the scan revealed a large, 5-centimeter mass in her colon, along with an enlarged spleen and lymph nodes throughout her abdomen, pelvis, and below her lungs. Our mom was informed that the mass appeared cancerous, but for an official diagnosis, a biopsy would need to be obtained during a colonoscopy.
On October 18, 2016, after multiple tests, doctor's appointments, and almost a month of uncertainty, Mary Ellen was diagnosed with Stage IV Mantle Cell Lymphoma. MCL is a rare form of non-Hodgkin lymphoma—a cancer that affects the immune system, and which is most often diagnosed in an advanced stage due to its few, non-specific symptoms. It comprises approximately 5% of all non-Hodgkin lymphoma cases. The good news is that our mom’s cancer is slow-growing; however, it has unfortunately already spread to not only her colon, but also her blood and bone marrow. A recent PET scan also revealed cancerous lesions in lymph nodes throughout our mother’s neck, chest, abdomen, and pelvis.
This past week a board of oncologists reviewed our mom’s case and decided unanimously in favor of an aggressive treatment approach. This treatment is based on the advanced stage of her lymphoma, as well as her prior good health and young age of 53. Treatment will include chemotherapy every three weeks, with alternating clinic and hospital visits, followed by stem-cell transplantation. The goal of treatment is for our mom to be in remission as long as possible. Although MCL is a treatable cancer, there is a chance it will come back. At this point, the future is uncertain, but we know our mother will need frequent monitoring for the rest of her life, and possibly require future treatments.
Our mother is a devoted friend who has never hesitated to support her friends and family who have experienced similar struggles. She has been a dedicated teacher at St. Mary – St. Michael School in Derby, CT for over fifteen years. This week, she began a medical leave of absence from the job she loves and will begin chemotherapy treatment in a few days. This will be a tough and long fight for her. Our goal is to relieve some of the financial burden already resting on our family, in hopes to ease both of our parents’ stress, and to ensure that our mother can truly focus on her health and well-being going forward.
Our family would be incredibly grateful to anyone willing to donate and provide relief for our situation. If you are not in the position to help financially, we ask that you simply share this message to spread the word. And whether you know my mother personally or not, please send her some kind and positive words.
As residents of Seymour, CT, we have seen our community accomplish some amazing things—if our mom can receive even a small sliver of that positive energy we know it will help her tremendously.
Thank you so much for taking the time to read this!
- Erica, Robert Brennan, and Lauren Kelly
Organizer and beneficiary
Erica Kelly
Organizer
Seymour, CT
Mary Ellen Kelly
Beneficiary