Never before have I posted something like this on my blog, and honestly I know that many people have someone in their life that may be going through something similar. Nonetheless, if I don’t say something, don’t put the word out…. I would feel I wasn’t doing everything I could to help a friend.
Bit of back story. When I was pregnant with my first, Kylie, I was an active member of a Baby Center forum. From there a group of about 100 (give or take a few!) moved over to another self-made forum where we really have been a tight-knit community ever since. While we don’t chat on that forum anymore, most are friends on Facebook and still involved in our day to day lives. I’ve met several in person and they really are friends for life. Our “December 2006 babies” are now 6+!
One of these women, Cody Bennett, a few years older than me – had her daughter when I had Kylie and then a son right around the same time I had Tristan. She lives in AZ. Currently she is fighting Stage 4 cancer.
One trip to the emergency room on November 9th 2011, thinking she had the stomach flu was actually much more than she was expecting. The doctors walked in and said you have Colon Cancer….the cancer was Stage 3 and had reached several lymph nodes. Those 4 words changed her life forever! From that moment on, Cody, 38, went into survival mode for her 2 young children Chesney, now 6 and Gavin, now 4, and husband Jason. She spent the next 6 months doing chemo treatments and May 2012 was a great month when the doctor came in and told her that all that miserable hard work had paid off and all her scans where clear! Her doctor suggested that Cody go in for genetic testing since her Mom was 38 and her brother Jason, who passed away at age 34, also had Colon Cancer. Cody was diagnosed with Lynch’s Syndrome which is a hereditary form of Colon Cancer that increases the risk of developing Colon Cancer at a younger age. Women with this disorder also have a high risk of cancer of the endometrium, ovaries, and breast. At this time doctors recommended Cody schedule some preventative surgeries including a complete hysterectomy. December 14th, 2012 Cody went in to have the preventative hysterectomy and they found that her cancer had already reached her ovaries and now was Stage 4. January 23rd 2013 Cody began the hardest fight of her life and moved treatment to Cancer Treatment Centers of America where her doctors have started a 6 month aggressive round of chemotherapy. For now all we can do is hope and pray. All hope is that this aggressive cancer can be stopped, but even after this initial treatment it will be chemo for life. So this is where I need everyones help. These treatments are very expensive. Cody is doing everything she can to continue to work and have as much normalcy in her life as possible but the last thing she needs is to stress over paying the bills that just continue to pile up. So every dollar counts and no donation is too small. Please help me spread the word everyone….I cannot do this alone! Please help my friend the sister I never had, mother, daughter, aunt and wife! Roxanne Fritz
I can only imagine. If there is anything that you can do to help, be it a couple bucks, something to raffle off or more, I know Cody would be forever grateful. I certainly will be. Again — I realize this is someone that you don’t know. But even if you can’t personally help, I am asking you to share this post, spread the word. Maybe there is someone out there who can help. You can read more about this and donate here. If you have something or know of something that could be raffled for this cause please email me at wheelndealmama at gmail.com.
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