Support Lori Heffner Gibson and Family's Medical Journey

Lori Heffner Gibson, a midwife and mother of 3, was on vacation with her family in Finland on June 24th when she fainted and was rushed to the hospital. Scans revealed a large tumor at the base of her skull. Doctors believe the tumor had been growing for a while, with Lori's brain compensating for the decreasing space.

In order to be cleared to fly home to the US for treatment, Lori had to undergo surgery to drain fluid from her brain. While the surgery several days ago was a success, she is now battling pneumonia. Her oxygen levels must be at a specific threshold for her to fly safely and they are currently waiting for her O2 numbers to stabilize to be cleared to travel.

Upon arriving back in the US, Lori will then begin her treatment at Duke Brain Tumor Center. Lori's husband, Stan, has been by her side for this entire journey, and her mother, Frieda, flew to Helsinki to love and support them in any way she can. Lori's children had to return to the US and have had to endure a dreadful separation while they all anxiously await her return.

As you can imagine, the expenses are significant and mounting (20+ days of unexpected hospital, hotel and food expenses, not to mention surgery and special medical travel costs). That is all before the real journey of treatment begins at Duke. There are still so many unknowns, but the one thing that is clear is that Lori and Stan need us. They need our love, support, prayers, and uplifting thoughts while they are in Finland. When they return to the States, there will be a long road ahead full of uncertainty, and the need for support will certainly grow. The love from family and friends and unbelievable kindness of strangers in Finland has carried them through these past few weeks, which have included some long and hard days.

Lori has a special gift for loving and caring for her family, friends and so many new mothers and babies as they enter this world. Please consider helping by donating whatever amount you can.

From all her family and friends, we thank you for your support, it is deeply appreciated.