Nikki Gersten McAvity is a Cancer Warrior

Hi All -

My dear friend Nikki (nee Gersten) McAvity is fashion loving, style savvy, generous and kind spirited with a wicked sense of humor. She is also mother to 14-year-old Simon McAvity. Nikki came to Phoenix in 2016 by way of Portland, OR but is originally (and still) a New Yorker through and through. In 2023, Nikki was diagnosed with lymphoma and went through 6 rounds of chemo.

Unfortunately, three month's post treatment, she experienced a recurrence. This now requires a much more aggressive treatment called CAR-T immunotherapy. While Nikki is a very private person, she is finding that she will need the help of friends and family to get through this. Yet, it's challenging for her to keep everyone up to date.

A BIT ABOUT CAR-T

Car-t is considered a “transplant.” It involves sifting Nikki's t-cells out of her blood by use of a dialysis-like machine - and then sending them to a lab where they are re-engineered and into lymphoma-targeted "warrior cells." The re-engineering process takes a few weeks. In the meantime, Nikki receives various “bridging” and preparatory chemo therapy treatments. Next, the re-engineered (or cart-t ) cells are re-infused back her.

The re-infusion of the car-t cells is considered "Day 0." For Nikki this will be on 1/29/24. From that point, she's expected to spend some time in the hospital (having various extreme side effects managed) and then an additional 6 or so weeks in a sort of a home "lockdown," where she cannot drive, cannot be exposed to any germs or bacteria due to an almost non-existent immune system and cannot be alone EVER due to the potential for neuro (i.e. brain) glitches that she herself may not notice.

This is challenging as she lives alone (save for her son, Simon, who will be with his father during that time). There will be opportunities for people to help, staying overnight with her and/or relieving her main caregivers for shorter periods of time.

Nikki's diet will also have restrictions. She cannot accept any food from outside of her home environment in order to minimize any exposure to bacteria, etc. Thus, she cannot have a simple "meal train" or care delivery package from Door Dash.

Nikki has so many friends around the country, and many who want to see her but can't. If you are in that group, there are other ways to support her during this treatment, which is, like most cancer care, expensive. Nikki's income has been minimal as she's been sick for the past year and her medical co-pays have been high. I hope you will consider giving whatever you can towards her daily needs and medical bills.

Nikki is truly a warrior. Cancer has nothing on her and WE can help her to get through this!

I know she will be immensely grateful for whatever anyone can give - be it a visit, a text, a phone call, a card or a monetary donation. No matter what you can or cannot do in this regard, you will be a huge part of her recovery and sense of hope.

Nikki and Simon. This was taken after her first bout of Lymphoma during which, she lost all of her hair.

This is Nikki, beautiful and statuesque and rocking one of her favorite wigs!

Wendy Lieberman

Paradise Valley, AZ

Good Evening!

As I write this, Nikki has one day of chemotherapy under her belt. In true Nikki style, she shared that she was there for 7 hours but at least she had a bed. Somehow, Nikki made chemo sound like it was somehow elegant, but let’s face it she is battling cancer. Today, she shared that she was feeling ok, no chemo session but nauseous. 

The one message she expressed over and over was gratitude. 

I never imagined in one week we would raise the goal of $25,000. 

Nikki sends her love and thank yous!