Help Lara's Fight Against Cancer
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In October 2018, Lara Behrens learned that she has stage 4 cancer. She had been experiencing severe pain in her lower back since April, but she initially attributed the pain to overdoing it at her longstanding job as a server at Dover Downs Casino in Delaware. As the pain worsened in the ensuing months and began to interfere with her ability to walk comfortably, Lara tried to remedy the issue with a chiropractor, massage therapy and exercise while she waited for an MRI. By July, the back pain, along with other symptoms, forced her to stop working.
When Lara finally received the MRI, her doctor summoned her to the office right away. The MRI revealed that she had a large mass on her sacrum, which is the bone at the base of the spine just above the tailbone. After other tests, her oncologist confirmed that Lara not only had cancer in her sacrum, but also that cancer was found in several organs throughout her abdomen. Her diagnosis is Stage 4 metastatic cancer, and Lara has been told there is no cure.
The treatment plan at the moment is to bring the cancer under control and to give her some relief. Lara has undergone radiation treatments designed to reduce her back pain and has just begun chemotherapy to stop the growth of the tumors and hopefully reduce their size. Lara’s doctors and other caregivers at the Helen Graham Cancer Center at Christiana Hospital in Delaware have been absolutely tremendous, and they are fully supporting our family’s current exploration of a second opinion at the University of Pennsylvania’s Abramson Cancer Center to see if we can find an alternative treatment path. Lara is also receiving consultation and support from UPMC Medical Center in her childhood home of Altoona, Pennsylvania.
Throughout this ordeal, Lara has shown remarkable strength and resilience. Certainly there have been tears, but she has been far more concerned with how this news is affecting her family and friends than she has been with herself. She has an upbeat positive attitude and is determined to fight the cancer with everything she has. Her trademark hilarious sense of humor, youthful spirit, and deep compassion for others remain on full display all the time and she is still as fun as ever to be around. She isn’t going to let cancer take away her joy and is determined not to allow it to define her life. She has too much she wants to do, too many people to see, and too much love to give. With a strong faith, a positive mindset and the extraordinary support she is receiving from her family and some truly exceptional friends in her beloved Smyrna, Delaware, Lara has a great deal of hope for what is possible in her future.
One of the hardest parts of this situation for Lara has been asking for help. Lara’s entire adult life has been marked by giving help and comfort to others. She has helped friends who have tragically lost loved ones too early in life. She has emptied her freezer to give food to a friend who lost a job. She has often dropped everything to listen to a friend or a customer who was experiencing a crisis or just needed to talk. She has volunteered to help friends move and provided countless other favors. She has been a shoulder to cry on and a wise giver of advice and encouragement. She has done all of this without bringing attention to herself, and with no expectation of anything in return.
Lara was reluctant to allow us to create this GoFundMe site for her, but her cancer has been financially devastating. Apart from losing her livelihood, her savings have been depleted. She has required help to cover her basic needs. One practical way we can all support her in this difficult time is to ease her financial burden.
Except for the small processing fee charged by GoFundMe, 100% of donations made to this site will go for Lara’s living expenses and medical needs. Thank you very much for considering a donation.
When Lara finally received the MRI, her doctor summoned her to the office right away. The MRI revealed that she had a large mass on her sacrum, which is the bone at the base of the spine just above the tailbone. After other tests, her oncologist confirmed that Lara not only had cancer in her sacrum, but also that cancer was found in several organs throughout her abdomen. Her diagnosis is Stage 4 metastatic cancer, and Lara has been told there is no cure.
The treatment plan at the moment is to bring the cancer under control and to give her some relief. Lara has undergone radiation treatments designed to reduce her back pain and has just begun chemotherapy to stop the growth of the tumors and hopefully reduce their size. Lara’s doctors and other caregivers at the Helen Graham Cancer Center at Christiana Hospital in Delaware have been absolutely tremendous, and they are fully supporting our family’s current exploration of a second opinion at the University of Pennsylvania’s Abramson Cancer Center to see if we can find an alternative treatment path. Lara is also receiving consultation and support from UPMC Medical Center in her childhood home of Altoona, Pennsylvania.
Throughout this ordeal, Lara has shown remarkable strength and resilience. Certainly there have been tears, but she has been far more concerned with how this news is affecting her family and friends than she has been with herself. She has an upbeat positive attitude and is determined to fight the cancer with everything she has. Her trademark hilarious sense of humor, youthful spirit, and deep compassion for others remain on full display all the time and she is still as fun as ever to be around. She isn’t going to let cancer take away her joy and is determined not to allow it to define her life. She has too much she wants to do, too many people to see, and too much love to give. With a strong faith, a positive mindset and the extraordinary support she is receiving from her family and some truly exceptional friends in her beloved Smyrna, Delaware, Lara has a great deal of hope for what is possible in her future.
One of the hardest parts of this situation for Lara has been asking for help. Lara’s entire adult life has been marked by giving help and comfort to others. She has helped friends who have tragically lost loved ones too early in life. She has emptied her freezer to give food to a friend who lost a job. She has often dropped everything to listen to a friend or a customer who was experiencing a crisis or just needed to talk. She has volunteered to help friends move and provided countless other favors. She has been a shoulder to cry on and a wise giver of advice and encouragement. She has done all of this without bringing attention to herself, and with no expectation of anything in return.
Lara was reluctant to allow us to create this GoFundMe site for her, but her cancer has been financially devastating. Apart from losing her livelihood, her savings have been depleted. She has required help to cover her basic needs. One practical way we can all support her in this difficult time is to ease her financial burden.
Except for the small processing fee charged by GoFundMe, 100% of donations made to this site will go for Lara’s living expenses and medical needs. Thank you very much for considering a donation.
Organizer
Thad Behrens
Organizer
Dallas, TX