We love Penny Kent

Hi my name is Tami Mohler and I, along with her close friends and family, are raising money for Penny Kent . Penny has fought quite a battle for the last two year against Squamous Cell Carcinoma, Anal Cancer, caused by the HPV Virus.

In raising funds, I am hoping to reach beyond her friends and family in McCall, Oregon and Treasure Valley. I believe that once this is live it will reach the right people who will help make it a success. Perhaps you may not know Penny personally but may have lost someone to cancer or have a big heart to give my friend a gift during this difficult journey. Thank you in advance for your time and donation.

I have known Penny for several years after meeting in McCall where our husband's both worked at Franklin Building Supply. We kept in touch on facebook after she moved to OR. She informed me she was moving back to Idaho because she was diagnosed with cancer. I met up with her in person in Boise after fighting through her first round of Chemotherapy and Radiation.

She looked great and was on her way to healing...waiting for confirmation at her follow up appointments that she was healed and the treatment was the answer to her prayers.

She confided in me that she was scared. She certainly wasn't going to allow cancer to take her because she had so much more life to live.

Unfortunately, it was discovered that her cancer returned, and she underwent major surgery in Salt Lake to remove the tumor. That surgery was incredibly invasive and included removal of the tumor, a complete hysterectomy, a permanent colostomy, removal of the anal/vaginal wall and plastic surgery to rebuild it.

Penny was so brave, believing that this major surgery would again be the answer. As she was healing from her surgery, the cancer began to grow yet again.

Even though her body has been through so much Penny tries to stay positive. She is one of the most authentic and caring people I know. She is concerned about others, talks bluntly about her feelings, and even advocates for preventing Anal Cancer, caused by HPV. She appears strong, but I know she's feeling so overwhelmed and depleted.

I last saw Penny on the way home from one of her early treatments in Boise. We had the chance to talk about her feelings, fears and plans.

Her daughter Hannah was with her as she has also been helping drive her to her appointments. Hannah admitted that she was having difficulty returning to the hospital where she also lost her Grandma to cancer. I could tell she was sad and concerned for her momma who showed her daughter such strength and support despite her personal challenges.

We talked about what other types of care Penny wanted. She was open to anything that could save her life.

I wanted to help find the best care for her. I promised Penny that day I would find some local resources for complimentary healing to get her body well again. I promised to help raise some money to ensure that she could receive the best care possible. She admitted that medical bills have been adding up quickly and dealing with those and insurance to get the care she desired is incredibly overwhelming.

It has unfortunately taken me too long to get this fundraiser going because I was trying to find the perfect way, words, story etc to make this perfect for my friend.

So tonight I thought I would put this together and allow it to evolve.

Penny's journey has been overwhelming. Her treatments were every day for several weeks, two different times. She lives far from the treatment center and relies on someone to drive her. Kevin has gotten her there every day! Hannah has also helped as needed, along with many others helping to get her home from appointments so Kevin could still try to work as much as possible.

Hannah was unfortunately involved in a serious rollover car accident recently and is still healing from her injuries. I can't imagine how scary and difficult this was for the Kent family.

Kevin balances work and care and has been Penny's rock through all of this, along with the loving support from their children, Justin and Hannah. Their friends and family have also been incredibly supportive and loving along their journey.

The Kent Family needs a break, and Penny needs to be able to get the care she needs.

It's important to me to support Penny and her family in doing this fundraiser so that Penny can get the care she needs and her family can rest assured knowing that money is there when they need it.

Penny has been p

resented with a few options that will cost money out of pocket. Travel expenses alone are high.

Specifically, the program I found locally where Penny would be able to see a particular nutritionist and receive integrative care from a professional Naturopathic Clinic to complement her medical treatments will cost around $26,000 + travel expenses. Her Oncology Team is still looking for trials around the country that match. If a trial is found, expenses would also be a burden.

She will likely help me fill in the blanks of where the money will be spent, but as you can imagine, money should be the least of her worries. Penny is a beautiful soul fighting very hard, encouraging and teaching others through her experience, even with a sense of authentic humor but, most importantly, she wants to live.

Please help me reach this goal so Penny can have the resources to get all the care she deserves.