In the summer of 2006, I was undergoing a lot of tests and numerous scans to disprove a Liver Disease diagnosis

(Primary Sclerosing Cholangitis) that I had been diagnosed with several years before. My current doctor said that I was too young and had no signs or symptoms for that diagnosis to make sense and so she was determined to prove otherwise. Unfortunately, each of the scans and tests that I was doing came back with more problems. One of the major problems found was in my left kidney. The Chief of Urology took one look at it and said it had to come out because there was a mass so large growing in it; that it was no longer able to function properly. At the time we did not know if it was cancer and would not know those results until it was removed. 

More tests were run and they found a large mass in my porta hepatic area (the area just beneath my liver where all of the veins and arteries connect everything together). They tried to do several biopsies to determine what the mass was prior to my surgery to remove my kidney, but unfortunately could not get a good enough tissue sample. On September 18, 2006 I went in for surgery. They found that the kidney was cancerous but that it was contained within itself and had not spread. I had to wait 3 weeks after the surgery to get the results of the liver biopsy. I was shocked when they told me that I had a rare form of cancer called Cholangiocarcinoma. The prognosis is grim unless we get a miracle. Because of where the tumor is located, they cannot operate on it. It has spread into my lymph nodes and into my liver as well. There is a possibility that if it shrinks, they might be able to do a liver transplant, but there are no guarantees.

Since October 2006, I have been undergoing several rounds of chemotherapy as well as radiation. I have probably had every side effect known to man which makes life a little challenging to say the least. I really have to laugh at myself and some of the things I have to deal with like mouth sores, ingrown toe nails, acne, hair loss, you name it. The hardest part for me is being so tired. I literally do not have the strength some days to play or be there for my son, which for a mother, it's completely devastating.

People have been amazing and literally have been coming out of the woodwork to help. Many things have happened including a fundraiser for my son, Max, who has Autism. The fundraiser was called Miracle for Max.
All of the monies raised for the event have gone into a Special Needs Trust for him and with those funds; we will be able to provide Max with any treatment or therapy that he needs for the time being.

Every day, people ask me how they can help; from bringing by dinner, to cleaning my house, to helping with Max. It has all been so overwhelming and so very much appreciated.
But there definitely is another way to help my family and me and that is by donating to the
Miracle for Max’s Mom Fund.
We have a lot of financial pressure in just paying our monthly bills. I had to quit my job to under go treatment and Ben’s struggling at his commission based job to keep us afloat. The pressure is enormous. Please know how truly grateful we are for all of your thoughts, prayers and for your support!

We believe in God's healing power and in the goodness of the human spirit.
We are counting on a MIRACLE and BELIEVE anything can happen!