Support for Lori Dubuque

My wife Lori has had a long road of addiction recovery and the struggles surmounted in 2020 when, after a fall, it was found that there was a mass on her brain. This mass was evaluated and diagnosed as a glioblastoma, which often comes with a terminal diagnosis.

Lori lived her life day to day and believed in recovery and getting better and stronger. She opted for surgery in September of 2020, which successfully removed a large portion of the tumor. Unfortunately, the glioblastoma reoccurrence rate is exceptionally high due to the invisible tentacles that penetrate the brain, forever rooting itself.

Fast forward to today after several rounds of chemotherapy and radiation cocktails, the tumor has reared its ugly head again.

This time the news our family received was much different. The placement and aggression of the tumor deemed it untreatable. She is not strong enough to endure another surgery. The chemotherapy and radiation were unsuccessful, and the alternative solution was not an option.

We have decided with Lori and our family to opt-out of treatment due to the risks. The estimated timeframe given by her team of doctors was a few weeks to possibly three months maximum. We are finding ways to comfort her during her last days.

We have recently learned that Lori does not have life insurance. Our family is not in a financial position to be able to support the total costs of 24 hour care and the services following her death. We are in a difficult place and are asking for help from family, friends, and community members who relate to our pain. This time is highly emotional and challenging for all of us. It’s the financial burden that we are facing on top of the emotions of losing my wife and mother to our children. I have decided to put our humility aside and am asking for support.