Starla Haynes: Stronger Than Cancer

How do I as a child fully capture in words the sheer force of nature that is my mother? This has been my dilemma the last couple days writing for this project but lets give it a go!

Starla Jean Haynes: 65 and kicking ass!!!

At an early age, I believe through life’s magical plan, Starla Jean Haynes, was being chosen to be a Mother. The second eldest of 6 daughters, and the eldest in the home after the tragic death of their father, Starla assumed a parental role in the home at the all to early of an age of 12. Just one year later, her mother would be diagnosed with a very advanced stage ovarian cancer and told she had only months to live. While at the appointment with her mother, Starla witnessed a degree of strength in her mother that she has described to be as being a moment of transcendence.

Her mother with a fury unlike anything she had ever seen declared to the medical team “I DO NOT HAVE TIME TO DIE, FIND A WAY” and the room was silenced. She then embarked on a treatment plan that at the time was the only option. An extremely toxic protocol that at times made life unbearable but she fought and fought and fought and wound up proving her doctor bleak prognosis wrong by going on to live for 19 years. While she did gain time the quality of life she had left was often plagued with suffering due to the side effects of such a toxic treatment. 

Starla is her mothers daughter and it came at no surprise that she is standing with such resilience now more than ever and she also rejects the prognosis of Western Doctors and is determine to live. My mother worships at the alter that is the power of the human mind and spirit and the body’s resilience. Throughout my life I have been stopped in moments of awe as I have witnessed this strength time and time again. You see, at the age of 12, Starla became a mother. And since that day she has never faltered. She has not only been the fiercest mother I could have ever wished for in my life but she has continued to be a care taker at times for our entire family. My mother is the sort of woman that will take in just about anyone who is in need. There are very few times in my childhood that I can recall where someone wasn’t seeking respite in our home while they found their way. She has always given back to her community with her various charitable affiliations, and even embarked in recent years to taking on her youngest sisters daughter and 3 small children (all under 5 years old at the time) as their primary caregiver when their mother was struggling in her own life as a recovering addict. Thankfully everyone seems to mend their wings under my mothers care and all have left the nest once more to thrive on their own. My mothers sense of duty and responsibility to not only her family but also everyone who enters her life, especially when people are in the darkest of days is something I truly admire.

It is because of this strength and resilience that when my mother decided to forego the path of traditional western medicine and pursue treatment in a wholistic alternative approach, I was quickly in support 100%. Western Medicine is unable to offer a curative treatment and most importantly one that won’t compromise her quality of life.

The alternative treatments that will be needed are far more expensive as they are far more sophisticated this go around and as it is with alternative medicine everything will need to be payed for out pocket. OK GUYS THIS IS WHERE WE COME IN! The reason for this fundraiser is simple; I wanted to provide a platform for all the people in our lives to have a way to offer their support and to build a large CONTINGENCY FUND for Starla to help reduce as much stress as I can during this time of healing. In addition to helping to cover the costs of treatments (phew these suckers get crazy expensive!), the fund will also help to cover her living expenses in the event that she would need or wish to take some time off of work as many of the treatments and clinics she will be receiving are not all available within the United States. I will be updating a section as we move forward that will be a detailed plan one so we can document our journey for our supporters but also to hopefully be a beacon for the power of alternative medicine.  

In recent years studies have shown that eliminating stress is one of the single most beneficial things a person can do to support the body and improve the immune system to assist in healing. I figure this is something that I can try and do for my Mom and the community that surrounds and supports her. If you are able please donate what you can. Every dollar helps and I would just like to thank everyone in advance for your support and to also thank everyone who has been such a wonderful support already. We are so grateful for each and every one of you!

All funds raised will be transferred directly to Starla. And we also ask that you please share this on your various social media platforms with the links provided. I will be making periodic status updates here as well should you like to follow us on our healing journey. 


A note from Starla herself:

"This is one of the most humbling experiences.

It is hard for me to reach out and ask for help. It has always  been that way for me.
 So I will thank you in advance for any support that you might offer at this time.

As a child of 13, I listened to the oncologist tell my mother that she was terminal, a word they do not use today.  She fought a magnificent battle, beating their 6 months sentence by 19 years.  Granted, her quality of life was severely diminished but she believed that following the path laid out, she would be healed.   

Today, the oncologist uses the statement to the woman of 65 that I am today, " you are stage 4 and the best we can do is offer palliative care, in the form of chemo.” “And no, it will not cure you, the best we can do is potentially extend your time”. 

For me, palliative care, is not an option at this time. 

I want to live.  

I am free of any debilitating evidence of disease and I am in good health, except for the cancer.

I want to be cured. I believe that I can be cured. There is evidence all around.

Western medicine, typically in addressing cancer, does not address the whole body, mind and spirit.  There are many clinic’s and hospitals in the US and outside our borders that do offer this and much more in the treatment of cancer, in supporting first the body, the mind and immune system, building it up as much as possible, giving one’s body a chance to fight the battle and win. It’s a cash only path.

I am doing what I know are the important changes, in my lifestyle, diet, exercise, and many supplements.  I know that there is much more I could be doing in getting treatments on the homeopathic, naturopathic path, and the financial burden on this path is quite significant as Medicare does not cover any of it.  The top 5 cancer institutes do not accept it either, so you better have some deep pockets.  

I do not.

This is the 3rd time cancer has made an appearance in my life.  This one is not related to the first two. It’s obvious to me that I still have some physical and emotional healing to work on and I am ready to get that done now.

I am blessed and I know that God will not give me more that I can handle. 

I am blessed to be on this planet, in this time and place in space.

I am blessed in knowing that there is a reason for all things in my life. 

I am blessed in knowing my body and that it has served me so well.  

I am blessed each morning that I awake and realize today is another beautiful day.  

I am grateful and thankful for the love and support of my family and so many friends. 

I am appreciative of all of the information that is available to one who wants to heal their bodies of all diseases."


Just to catch you up:

We all know it all to well now it seems these days. I don't know anyone in this life that hasn't been touched in some way by this disease. It can rip through your life and flip everything you knew upside-down. With a cancer diagnosis it seems that the only thing you know for sure is that your journey is your own and life as you know it will never be the same. My family is no different. 

On December 26th, 2017, Starla was preparing for a biopsy procedure to test and diagnose a concerning mass on her liver that was discovered on her liver during a routine exam for a separate health matter. After what seemed like an endless barrage of tests, and many painful biopsies all over her body it was determined that the tumor was a very rare cancer called Cholangiocarcinoma. A rare cancer that is roughly only diagnosed in about 3500 patients annually but this number is growing at an alarming rate. With such a rare cancer that is at this point still very unknown to the medical community as to what treatments are curative you can imagine the journey has been one filled with endless questions to which western medicine offers very few answers. 

We began our journey at University Hospital at UC Denver but when the only initial treatment option we were given was a very risky radiation treatment and then potentially surgery, we opted to get additional opinions. This led us to UCLA and a wonderful surgical team that was very confident that this tumor could be removed surgically without radiation before hand which was music to our ears. We began the pre-op process with its huge array of tests, scans, and consults. My mother is incredibly healthy and has always been the picture of health and at 65 every doctor we meet with is blown away by her strength and vitality given the diagnosis we have been dealt. All of her pre-op test came back with an enthusiastic green light for surgery. We arrive at the hospital for the day of her surgery to remove half of her liver. We get settled in pre-op, have the conversations we need to have before a major surgery and say I love you. She's off to surgery. 

Before the operation can commence they first need to do a visual examination via an endoscopic procedure to make sure everything looks good in her abdomen to remove half of such a large and vital organ. This is where things took a turn. Its important for me explain something to you here. Cholangiocarcinoma is a smart cancer and frankly a real asshole. You see every PETscan we had was clear with the exception of the primary tumor. Every blood test came back normal. Every satellite  biopsy to rule out the spread of the tumor came back clean. It wasn't until they went in during her surgery that we had the full picture. My mothers cancer had metastasized from her liver to her abdominal wall, the tissue surrounding her intestines and diaphragm. She is now Stage IV Metastatic Cholangiocarcinoma. Surgery is no longer an option and she is closed up, taken back to recovery and we wait for her to wake to give her this devastating news. 

Western medicine at this stage only offers chemotherapy as a treatment option but what has been the most surprising for us to discover is that this option is considered palliative. Doctors sadly do not come right out and tell you this but the truth is that all western doctors are offering is a highly toxic maybe where the side effects may greatly diminish her quality of life which at this point we just can't justify.