Our Mother, Mimi, Sister, Friend

My mom is Vicky Cruz. She is 59 years old and living in Pittsburgh. This is her story.  Two years ago she was diagnosed with Stage IV Cervical Cancer. She felt fine one day, and woke up the next with severe abdominal pain. No signs, no symptoms. Nothing to warn her of the danger lurking.   After further testing she was told the cancer had spread into her abdomen, adrenal gland and lungs. They started radiation treatment immediately. After that, she started getting dosed with the dreadful chemotherapy. I watched my mom transform into something almost unrecognizable. There are no words, no picture, nothing that will fully prepare you for the first time you see someone you love so much in the condition that she was living. I say living, but it’s really just existing. Her hair was gone, her bones were brittle. She lost so much weight that her clothes no longer fit. She was simply a shell of someone that had once been. She underwent several more rounds of chemo. At that time she was getting three chemo drugs. Eventually the third, and most potent drug, took its toll on her body. She ended up in the hospital with a perforation in her abdomen. For those that don’t know what a perforation is, it’s a hole. She had a hole in her stomach that became life threatening. She was rushed into surgery. The doctors didn’t know if she would live or die.  During all of this my husband and I were planning our wedding and preparing for the arrival of our first born daughter.  My mother was too sick to attend our wedding.  Needless to say, I was absolutely devastated.  Our beautiful baby girl was born on July 1st, 2014.  Madison Riley!  My mom's first and only grandbaby.  The reason she keeps fighting this horrible disease called cancer.   Currently my mom is on her 14th round of chemo.  As you can imagine this has become quite costly.  Insurance only pays a small percentage leaving her to cover the rest.  She is unable to work and my step dad barely makes enough to cover their everyday expenses.  She is also in desperate need of a PET scan, which the insurance company will also not pay for.  My brother and I are graciously asking for donations to help cover some of these expenses for my mother and get her the testing she so desperately needs.  No amount is too small.  Thank you all for taking the time to read our story and help in any way that you can.  God bless!