Support Joyce's Cancer Battle and Recovery

My name is Randa Lake, and I’m reaching out for my stepmom, Joyce Zuccarell—a 60-year-old wife, mom, and grandma who’s the heart of our family. Joyce is loving, kind, and thoughtful, always bringing us together through life’s highs and lows. Married to Randy (my dad) since 1989, they’ve faced it all—together. They have three daughters, Randa (myself), Anna (34) and Sofia (24), and four amazing grandkids: Aubrie (12), Archer (10), August (8), and little Nora (7 months). Joyce is the glue that holds us together, and now she needs our help to come home.

Joyce received a devastating diagnosis of Multiple Myeloma ( a bone cancer ) in 2017. This was the start of a long journey for her and her family. She made multiple weekly trips to Ann Arbor for testing and treatment. She endured months of grueling chemotherapy, received a bone marrow transplant, battled constant pain in her bones and muscle tissue. On the day she finished her transplant, Randy proposed to her again, down on one knee—a promise of forever. Seven years later, she was told she beat the cancer. Everyone was shocked, but her fight wasn’t over.

In June 2024, Joyce’s world turned upside down again. She was admitted to St. Anne’s and then transferred to the University of Michigan hospital. What started as a hospital visit became an 8-month nightmare: a leukemia diagnosis, several weeks-long stints in the hospital, 10 bone marrow biopsies (which resulted in fractured pelvis), MRSA contracted at the University of Michigan, the possibility of a second bone marrow transplant, a total knee replacement (after MRSA ravaged her knee), and back surgery to replace two vertebrae destroyed by Multiple Myeloma and MRSA. Between procedures, she faced endless IV antibiotics, tests, and scans, and unbearable back pain. Yet Joyce stayed strong—for her family, for her grandkids, for life.

Now, after nearly 9 months, Joyce is cancer-free and ready to come home. But her home isn’t ready for her. She’s now permanently disabled, and is learning to walk again. She is wearing a back brace, and needs major changes to live safely: a vehicle that can safely and comfortably transport her to her ongoing doctor’s appointments, ADA grab bars in the house, modifications throughout the inside and outside of her home to fit her needs, and a walk-in shower. Joyce and Randy are also now faced with thousands in medical bills. We’re raising money to make this possible—to give Joyce the fresh start she’s fought so hard for.

Joyce never imagined her journey would lead here. We feared losing her when cancer struck, but her positivity and perseverance carried her through 8+ years of treatment and many months of hospital hell. Now, she needs us to help her take her next steps—literally. Every dollar brings her closer to hugging her grandkids at home. Please donate and share her story. Together, we can bring Joyce back where she belongs.

Thank you from our whole family—Randa, Randy, Anna, Sofia, and Joyce’s four little cheerleaders.