Support Beth's Final Journey with Love

Beth has always been larger than life, full of love and joy, and ready for any adventure. She was active and involved in the lives of her family and friends. Her house was the place to be for Gavin and Tristan and all their friends. She was the mom who would play at the beach, race them in a water obstacle course, and run around the neighborhood at night playing flashlight tag. She challenged her friends in competition through CrossFit, paddleboard yoga, walking handstands, or cornhole. Anyone who has had contact with Beth has been encouraged by her, strengthened by her support, and cheered on.

It's no surprise that when she was diagnosed with brain cancer in 2014 and given a prognosis of 3-5 years, Beth turned it into 10 years full of laughter and fun. Beth visited friends and family as often as she could, hosted weekend BBQs and pool parties, rented cabins in the Tennessee mountains for cousin time, and took her Florida boys skiing up north in the winter so they could have fun in the snow. Even before she knew her time would be cut short, she focused on living as much life as possible.

Following her initial diagnosis and treatment, Beth received an outpouring of support from a community that was motivated by her guidance and inspiration. She was featured in a fitness magazine for her strength and resilience, and highlighted at a Tampa Bay Lightning hockey game as a survivor. A glioblastoma is rare in younger people and particularly bleak in its prognosis. The average survival time is 12-18 months, with only 5% of patients living as long as 5 years. Her first surgery removed the majority of the cancerous cells. Within weeks, she was insistent on returning to her healthy, active lifestyle. She worked out and contacted other glioblastoma patients, encouraging their fight to recover as much as they could. She befriended and supported others in their final moments, even knowing she was getting a glimpse of her own future.

She underwent a second surgery 3 years ago to remove the entire right temporal lobe of her brain. After that, it became apparent the effects of cancer were beginning to take their toll. We recently found out that her brain cancer has returned aggressively and progressed to an inoperable stage. Any treatment at this point is for comfort and to delay the inevitable as long as we can. Beth hasn't been able to work for some time, and our mom has been covering the expenses to keep her and the boys in their home. However, since moving in to provide care, our mom is no longer working and expenses have become burdensome. There are home maintenance issues that need to be addressed, along with the day-to-day needs of food, household goods, personal care, medical needs, and kids' activities. It's possible she may lose her house and car. Beth's two sons are a senior and freshman in high school. We want to make sure they have as much consistency as possible at this incredibly stressful time.

We don't know exactly how much time we have, but we do know bit by bit Beth will lose the ability to interact, move, and care for herself. She is already under hospice care and cannot be alone. Beth has been a good friend and inspiration for so many people throughout her life. Please consider supporting her through the final months as we figure out how to say goodbye, lay her to rest, and help the boys transition to a life without their mom.