Making a Difference for April

My name is Andrea, and I am April's friend in Tulsa, Oklahoma. I created this GoFundMe to help raise funds for April's Pancreatic Cancer medical expenses.

As many of you know, April started having stomach issues last Fall and her condition continued to worsen. In January, she began seeking answers to why she wasn't feeling well. In late January an endoscopic ultrasound was performed where they found a pancreatic body mass. The biopsy revealed it was invasive adenocarcinoma.

This news sent her spinning and seeking additional medical advice over the next couple weeks. After many tests, scans, discussions with multiple oncologists and surgeons from OU Medical, Oklahoma Cancer Center and Mayo Clinic, everyone agreed her tumors (one at the head, and the other at the tail of her pancreas) were inoperable and her best chance would be to start chemo immediately. As you can imagine, this news was devastating.

Meanwhile back in California, April's long-time friend, Jenefer had been suggesting she consider other alternative treatments that might be more effective. She encouraged April to consider talking to her friend, Dr. Patrick Sewell. Jen knew first-hand Dr. Sewell was amazing as he had performed a lifesaving procedure on her colleague, and he is living today without cancer!

April's first conversation with Dr. Sewell was at the end of February. We were all quite impressed with his resume (12 pages) and extensive knowledge and experience. He explained he could do cryotherapy to freeze the tumors and then immunotherapy to train her immune system to recognize and attack the cancer. This might could be done in one procedure but may require two since the tumors were so large. Dr. Sewell was cautious to state this would not be a cancer curing procedure; however, would give her more time and provide her better treatment options after the tumors were debulked.

After much consideration, April decided to proceed with Dr. Sewell's protocol. The downside is the treatment would be very expensive, not covered by her insurance and would be performed outside of the US.

Fast forward to March 4- Jen and April fly together to Monterrey, Mexico. Fun fact, Jen is a registered nurse! March 5, Dr. Sewel (with Jen in the operating room) performed cryoablation and was able to freeze about 50% of the tumors. Therefore, it will probably be necessary to have a second procedure which would include both cryotherapy and immunotherapy.

March 7 - April is back and recovering from the procedure under the loving care of sweet Jenefer!

Thank you to everyone who has expressed their love, positive vibes, and prayers. April is so thankful for this outpouring of support. I know a lot of you have asked how you can help financially. Since all her medical expenses are out of pocket, financial support is very appreciated!

To follow April's Pancreatic Cancer Journey, please refer to April's CaringBridge for the latest updates. There are also other ways to contribute listed.