Fight For Felicia

This is Felicia, my dearest friend, a wife, and mother to 3 beautiful children: Liam (8), and twins Ethan and Sophia (3). Felicia works full time as the Sales Manager at Tom Ford and she is a full time CANCER WARRIOR. She may look perfectly healthy on the outside, but on the inside she is fighting for her life. 

For those that may be reading Felicia's story for the first time: 
In late fall of 2017, Felicia was diagnosed with Ocular Melanoma an extremely rare and aggressive cancer. Currently, there is only one treatment option for people with OM and it's not pleasant. It's called radiation plaque therapy and, in fact, it's barbaric. The doctors literally sew a metal device to the tumors in the eye where it gives off constant radiation for four days.  On Dec. 1 2017, Felicia completed radiation plaque therapy on the main tumor, and 4 rounds of TTT laser on another tumor in the same eye.

By mid January 2018, her research to find the top doctor led her to Dr. Richard Carvajal, the director of Melanoma Services and Experimental Therapeutics at Columbia. Felicia joined Dr. Carvajal's clinical trial for an experimental chemo drug to prevent OM from spreading throughout Felicia's body.  She traveled to NY every 4 weeks for two years and took a pill form of chemo twice a day.  MRI scans were needed every three months to monitor the growth of the tumors. The tumors remained stable for several months, but things have quickly turned.

To be frank, it has been a cruel summer, as the month of May delivered heavy news.  Felicia's MRI scan showed the return of tumors on her liver after an aggressive surgery in December 2019. In June of this year, she met with a team at Thomas Jefferson University Hospital in Philadelphia, PA, and they decided Immunoembolization would be the best treatment option for Felicia. This is a liver-directed treatment that requires actual surgery each time the treatment is administered (monthly). Felicia had her first surgery in June and then on July 15th, Felicia received her second round. It was during this surgery when doctors discovered more tumors throughout her liver. In addition to all of the liver treatments, Felicia's retina tore in one of her eyes (a result of countless treatments she has had to have done to the eye tumors) and she underwent cataract surgery to improve her vision.

August brought more scans, and a third trip to Philly for another round of Immunoembloization. As most of you are aware none of this has been easy, but by the grace of God she is bouncing back again and again like a fierce ninja. OM has one mission which is to kill, steal, and destroy one organ at a time. You can not cut it out like skin Melanoma, and there is no cure. The median survival after diagnosis of patients with liver metastases is approximately 4-6 months with a 1 year survival of about 10-15%. Let that sink in. This is a MOTHER to three children under the age of eight who is fighting with all her might to live.  Every single health decision she has made since her diagnosis has been about extending time to raise her babies.  She needs supernatural healing, and a community around her to link arms and help her beat this nasty beast.  

The Corbray family is an extension to my own family, I am hosting this fundraiser to help defeat the darkness of cancer. You can not prepare for terminal illness, and the financial burdens it brings. Will you consider donating to this worthy cause today? 100% of the funds will go directly to the Corbray family to pay for current and future medical expenses. So many of you have done so much already: you have given money, time, airline miles, dinners, and support! I am asking if you will join us again? Any amount will be a gift to this family. 

Sean and Felicia are clinging to their faith and trusting God to make a way when one seems impossible. They thank you for your continued support. Together we can do big and mighty things! We are blessed to be a blessing.

With Love,
Adrienne Ford