Support Beth's Battle Against Stage Four Cancer

My sister, Beth, is the kindest, most wonderful person in the world! Prior to Friday, June 7, 2024, she was known as a Hero, an ultimate survivor to me & thousands of others who knew of her story. As a 5-year-old, Beth suffered her first seizure after falling from a seesaw the 3rd week of kindergarten. The seizures came with a vengeance & after a year of searching for a cure, we learned that she had a rare brain disease that was destroying her left brain. Beth would have over 100 seizures a day & she was losing the use of her right hand & leg as well as her right visual field in both eyes. Her only chance of survival was to have her entire left brain removed. Dr. Ben Carson performed the hemispherectomy in 1987 at Johns Hopkins. Surgery was successful but Beth fell into a 2-month coma. The swelling on her brain caused significant damage to her brain stem & we did not know if she would survive. After many close calls, she finally turned the corner & worked for years to regain her ability to talk, walk, eat & all of the stuff we take for granted. Throughout all of this she never complained & always expressed gratitude to her doctors, nurses, medical professionals, teachers, friends & especially her family. Her goal in life is to make as many people smile as she can. She achieves that goal by just being Beth! She is such an inspiration that she has been a motivational speaker talking to groups about kindness, gratefulness, resilience & humor. Mister Rogers was her lifelong friend & if you google Beth Usher, you’ll find many stories about their friendship & of Beth’s speaker events.

On June 7, our world came crashing down when Beth was admitted to the hospital with blood clots in her lungs. A week later, we received the devastating news that she had Stage 4 Metastatic Endometrial Cancer for which there is no cure. Beth spent 7 weeks in the hospital undergoing a rigorous Chemotherapy/Immunotherapy treatment which has knocked her down. We were able to bring her home last Friday but heart complications brought her back to the hospital a week later. Throughout ALL of this agony, my sister never complains! She is more worried about her fellow patients who do not have family visiting them than she is of herself. If you know my sister-you love her! Most likely, you’ve been the recipient of one of her “suns”. So many of you wanted to create this page. My family refused at first but agreed after many requests to do something special for Beth. The gifts will make it easier for us to get all of the medical & personal items that will make her more comfortable. In addition to the weakness created by the cancer, Beth is hemipleagic on her right side which complicates all of her treatment & recovery. Beth is currently in palliative care & when she is able & between treatments, we hope to take her on some bucket list adventures. Please accept my family’s deepest appreciation for your prayers, love, friendship, kindness & support! We couldn’t survive without it!!! Beth is fighting this battle with all she’s got! She is the ultimate warrior-my Hero & best friend! As Beth would say, “BETHeHappiest”

Love, Brian Usher, Jr.