Love for Amanda and the Grumeretz Family

There are some people’s life stories that seem so unfair, that we can’t help but to ask why. If you are friends or family with the Grumeretz family, you have probably found yourself asking that on multiple occasions. Despite the hardships, Amanda and Angelo have always been steady rocks for each other in all the years of their love, and now it is time for us to support that foundation even more.

This story unfortunately goes back almost two years. On July 11th, 2019, while 19 weeks pregnant with their second child, the unthinkable happened and Amanda was diagnosed with high grade invasive breast cancer. After consulting with her doctors, they came up with a treatment plan for Amanda and were told that their baby boy could still be able to be delivered in the late fall.

Amanda went through chemo treatments and was on short-term disability for several months, while Angelo did his best to support the family. Through the support of many of you out there, we were also able to provide almost $10,000 of additional funds for Amanda's medical care and support of their family. 

After a long and painful pregnancy, we finally had some good news to share, and baby Angelo (Bubba) was delivered on November 16th, 2019, healthy and happy!! Very quickly after, Amanda had to undergo surgery and receive radiation as a means to fully eradicate the cancer. After a series of follow-ups and post-op, we finally had the BEST news to share on January 23rd, 2020 - CANCER FREE!! 

Amanda and Angelo had been slowly but surely recovering, and after several follow-up appointments, were told that they could officially move forward. 

Fast forward 15 months, and we unfortunately find ourselves again asking why... Starting about a month back, Amanda started experiencing a very acute pain in her side. She couldn't explain it, and the doctors didn't have an answer either. After a few more weeks of pain with no resolve, the doctors finally decided to take a closer look. Amanda and Angelo were asked to come back in, only to receive the news that they never hoped to hear again in their life - THE CANCER HAD COME BACK. It hadn't just come back, but had spread into Amanda's liver and kidneys. After further follow-up, they have since found a few lesions in her brain as well. 

Amanda and Angelo very quickly solicited their insurance and a specialty facility in Chicago they were told could help and provide more extensive support. They were flown out there earlier this week and had several appointments with key members of their team. They received optimistic views on treatment and were excited to move forward. As if things weren't bad enough, they received a call on Tuesday evening from their insurance provider. A mistake had been made, and this facility was actually excluded from their coverage.

I cannot explain how loving and caring Amanda and Angelo are and how much they do not deserve this. They need our help in a big way and with or without insurance, will have a heavy burden in front of them once again. 

We want the Grumeretz family’s energy to be focused on healing and enjoying each other, which is why their friends and family are running this fundraiser. If you know Amanda, you know she is one of the most resilient, strongest people you will ever meet. We KNOW Amanda will beat this. We KNOW that her friends and family will rally around her and be the best support system she could hope for. Please consider helping. Any donation is greatly appreciated and will go a long way in helping this family.