Tara Fighting Cancer

My sister, Tara Baber, was diagnosed just over a year ago with Stage 4 colon cancer, which had metastasized to the liver.  This diagnosis was such a devastating shock to all of us because my sister was only 37 years old at the time.  Life has been extremely difficult over the last year to say the least.  Along with two different types of intense chemotherapy, Tara has also undergone multiple surgeries thus far.  The most serious surgery that she had in December involved removing 2/3 of her liver (among other things).  Unfortunately, this was a very risky procedure and my sister had suffered from major complications.  After receiving 8 blood transfusions due to her internal bleeding, Tara had to be taken for emergency surgery just 6 days after her major liver surgery.  The next time that my family and I were allowed to see Tara was when she was in Intensive Care on a ventilator.  As heart-wrenching as this was, we were just so grateful to see Tara alive because we almost lost her!  Tara was in the hospital for a month and then she was in recovery for another 2 months or so.  The most difficult part of all for my sister was that she was not able to see her kids as much due to her health.  Tara is a single mother of 2 young, beautiful children, ages 5 and 7.  It breaks my heart when my sister tells me how badly she feels about missing so much of her childrens' lives.  Unfortunately, there is still a long road ahead for all of us.  As of now, there are still at least 2 or 3 surgeries to go.  It is no surprise that Tara has had to miss a substantial amount of work over the last year, and we know that more time off will be needed soon, too.  Not only has this whole experience been emotionally unbearable a times, but it has been quite a struggle financially as well.  The last thing that my sister needs to worry about right now is money, however, this stress is a reality to her.  Tara is a very independent woman and she is not the type of person to ask for help, especially financially.  I am so incredibly proud of how selfless my sister has become over the years.  She always puts others before herself, especially when it comes to her amazing kids.  Since discovering her cancer diagnosis, Tara has allowed for her tests and procedures to be used by the Cleveland Clinic for research in an effort to help others in similar situations.  My sister is not only my best friend, but she is a role model to me and so many others.  Tara  is truly a beautiful person both inside and out.  Please make a donation to my sister, whom has always been more than willing to help others.  Thank you for your generosity and for helping my sister cope through this unexpected journey!