Naomi's Lymphoma Diagnosis

A little over three months ago, my little sister went to the ER in an attempt to get some relief for the severe pain she was experiencing in her chest and left arm. After a routine X-ray, the ER doctor noticed what he initially referred to as a ‘shadow.’ Thankfully, he empathetically listened to Naomi’s concerns and immediately ordered a CT scan as well, which revealed something much more.

Located to the right of her aorta was a large mass. These images were later forwarded to an experienced cardiovascular surgeon here in Ventura County who, after an assessment, determined the best course of action was to move forward with a biopsy to find out what exactly we were dealing with here.

Her biopsy was scheduled for early March and despite her deep fear of anesthesia and needles, our girl handled it. Words can never describe the profound sense of pride I have for her and her determination to push through the fear and the pain she’s experienced.

The result of the biopsy was something we had considered, but hadn’t really prepared for, so when the confirmation came through as Hodgkin’s lymphoma, we were absolutely devastated to say the least.

For those who don’t know, our mom Delinda passed away from cancer at the age of 51. Naomi was barely 18. This time three years ago, we were watching helplessly as our mom literally withered away and succumbed to the disease that destroyed her body. Cancer took her from us in a way that we will never forget. We have spent the past three years grieving and trying to pick up the broken pieces, trying to find some semblance of balance, and taking small steps towards healing.

We truly were not prepared to have to face this monster again so soon.

Naomi’s oncology team is confident that with treatment, her cancer will eventually be cured. However, the treatment itself is very destructive. Her oncologist guaranteed that she will lose all of her hair, but even more concerning, the chemo she will go through will most likely destroy her ovaries and lead to infertility, therefore reducing her options.

Her treatment and any subsequent operations will be covered through her insurance. What will not be covered, however, is any sort of egg retrieval procedure and future IVF attempts. That will all need to be paid for out of pocket.

This is why we’re now reaching out to you, our family, our friends, our community. After consulting several fertility clinics, we set our goal to cover the cost of the procedure, medication, and storage fees that we will need to ensure Naomi still has this choice for her future.

We are grateful for any donations, assistance, shares, prayers, manifestations, good vibes, messages, and well wishes. Thank you for your continued love and support during this time for our family. We appreciate everyone who has reached out and we hope we have some good news and updates for you all soon.

Love you fiercely,

Devon