Medical needs for Jen Barber
Donation protected
Jena Barber is a beautiful, generous, deeply spiritual Christian who has reached the edge of a cliff, praying for a miraculous healing, in her long, courageous, and disabling battle with cancer.
At age 38, Jen now faces stage 4 metastatic, terminal, breast cancer which has invaded her sternum, pelvic bone, neck bone, liver and lungs. She has waged war against the cancer since 2017, with her singular vision and purpose always being to win and continue to be present in the lives of her husband, James, and three sons, Jimmy, Josh and Cale (ages 9, 6, and 4). After multiple surgeries (a double mastectomy, lymph node removal, replacement of a defibrillator/pacemaker, repair of a broken tissue expander, reconstructive breast surgery, removal of ovaries and fallopian tubes), and debilitating, toxic chemotherapy, hormone therapy, and radiation, her body is broken down and she has constant fatigue, frequent infections, and extremely challenging psychological stress as she worries about having a terminal diagnosis and leaving her husband and three boys behind. She is not afraid of dying because she believes in everlasting life through her unwavering faith in Jesus Christ, but at this point her insurance will only cover palliative (end of life/pain control) care. We, her friends from several churches and a Christian mom’s group, other friends, neighbors and family, and even generous, compassionate strangers, are not going to let her fight this battle without doing what we can to help her seek the only options left: experimental and costly immunotherapy trials and treatments approved in other countries but not here in the United States. There is no insurance to cover these treatments and this GoFundMe page was started for her in May of 2019 to try to raise the necessary funds for travel to specialist surgeons, travel to seek second opinions, lodging, and payment for the uninsured treatments themselves. There ARE some promising alternative treatments out there and for the sake of her family Jen is doing everything she can to research them, investigate their legitimacy, and save up enough money to try them. She does all of this intensive research in addition to trying to have a “normal” family life with her precious family and continue her work as a mental health counselor (yes, she wants to help others even as she battles for her life). Jen estimates that it will take around $50,000 to begin the experimental route, which will include travel, lodging, medical costs, and drug costs. She and her husband will both lose income while they pursue this challenging, costly treatment. After the initial $50,000 goal, Jen estimates that follow-up maintenance treatment will call for at least another uninsured $5,000 per year, even after she and her husband resume their normal work schedules.
Thank you to all who have contributed to this GoFundMe effort so far. We are getting close but need to push on and dig deeper in order to reach the goal in the short time we have to help Jen with her vision of living on with her family. Please pass this desperate GoFundMe plea on to others, through social media and word of mouth. We are also organizing a rummage sale, a 5K walk/run, and a benefit concert, and brainstorming other fundraising efforts. We will keep you informed about these fundraisers and hope you can participate. You can also help us with daily prayer for:
Jen’s miraculous healing, or
that she finds a successful experimental treatment, and
God’s fulfillment of her desire to see her boys grow up and to grow old with her husband.
May God bless you for your care and concern, and continuing help.
At age 38, Jen now faces stage 4 metastatic, terminal, breast cancer which has invaded her sternum, pelvic bone, neck bone, liver and lungs. She has waged war against the cancer since 2017, with her singular vision and purpose always being to win and continue to be present in the lives of her husband, James, and three sons, Jimmy, Josh and Cale (ages 9, 6, and 4). After multiple surgeries (a double mastectomy, lymph node removal, replacement of a defibrillator/pacemaker, repair of a broken tissue expander, reconstructive breast surgery, removal of ovaries and fallopian tubes), and debilitating, toxic chemotherapy, hormone therapy, and radiation, her body is broken down and she has constant fatigue, frequent infections, and extremely challenging psychological stress as she worries about having a terminal diagnosis and leaving her husband and three boys behind. She is not afraid of dying because she believes in everlasting life through her unwavering faith in Jesus Christ, but at this point her insurance will only cover palliative (end of life/pain control) care. We, her friends from several churches and a Christian mom’s group, other friends, neighbors and family, and even generous, compassionate strangers, are not going to let her fight this battle without doing what we can to help her seek the only options left: experimental and costly immunotherapy trials and treatments approved in other countries but not here in the United States. There is no insurance to cover these treatments and this GoFundMe page was started for her in May of 2019 to try to raise the necessary funds for travel to specialist surgeons, travel to seek second opinions, lodging, and payment for the uninsured treatments themselves. There ARE some promising alternative treatments out there and for the sake of her family Jen is doing everything she can to research them, investigate their legitimacy, and save up enough money to try them. She does all of this intensive research in addition to trying to have a “normal” family life with her precious family and continue her work as a mental health counselor (yes, she wants to help others even as she battles for her life). Jen estimates that it will take around $50,000 to begin the experimental route, which will include travel, lodging, medical costs, and drug costs. She and her husband will both lose income while they pursue this challenging, costly treatment. After the initial $50,000 goal, Jen estimates that follow-up maintenance treatment will call for at least another uninsured $5,000 per year, even after she and her husband resume their normal work schedules.
Thank you to all who have contributed to this GoFundMe effort so far. We are getting close but need to push on and dig deeper in order to reach the goal in the short time we have to help Jen with her vision of living on with her family. Please pass this desperate GoFundMe plea on to others, through social media and word of mouth. We are also organizing a rummage sale, a 5K walk/run, and a benefit concert, and brainstorming other fundraising efforts. We will keep you informed about these fundraisers and hope you can participate. You can also help us with daily prayer for:
Jen’s miraculous healing, or
that she finds a successful experimental treatment, and
God’s fulfillment of her desire to see her boys grow up and to grow old with her husband.
May God bless you for your care and concern, and continuing help.
Organizer and beneficiary
Kristin Greene
Organizer
Lutz, FL
James Barber
Beneficiary