Some of you know Larissa, some of you don’t. For those of you who don’t, what you need to know is that this world needs her. This is her story and why she needs your help.
Larissa is a young, charismatic, adoring, extraordinary, and very younique single mother of Violet. She is no stranger to hardship, pain and disease. In fact, Larissa has had and beat cancer twice. She is and has always been a fighter. Just as Larissa cusped adulthood, she would begin her career as a fighter. Not the kind who wins belts, sees her name in the paper or faces an adversary of equal weight and size; but a fighter who learned quickly, the value of life and each inherent breath. At age 19, Larissa began her 2 year battle with Hodgkin’s Lymphoma. With unfettered tenacity and courage, she brawled and beat it. But this wouldn’t be her final or easiest fight 15 years later, as a new mother, Larissa would find a lump in her breast. With the support of her family (former husband, stepkids, and Violet) she would endure several rounds of chemotherapy and radiation, but the battle would wage on and on. After many rounds of chemotherapy and radiation, Larissa bravely opted for a double masectomy, more radiation, underwent almost a dozen reconstructive surgeries, and watched as the foundation of her family began to crumble around her. In the next years, she recovered as her marriage fell apart, she healed from her radiation burns, multiple surgeries and chemo treatments. Attempting to embrace life alone with her sweet Violet, she actively worked toward strengthening her ravaged body by taking up Krav Maga, finding financial footing, and establishing mental peace in her new life. Five or six months ago, Larissa started becoming concerned that she was feeling overly tired again. She began experiencing unexplained pain in her body. She seemed to not be able to keep up at her Krav Maga classes like she used to. Blood tests revealed little, however, a trip to the ER this past Thursday 11-19-15, revealed that Larissa isn’t just fighting breast cancer again. Her oncologist is 95% sure that this is Terminal Mestatic Breast Cancer. When the medical community says that cancer is TERMINAL, it means they do not have effective, approved medical answers to fight or cure a disease, but it does not mean that there are no other means by which to fight. Larissa is not ready to give up. She is not willing to die and leave Violet alone. Neither insurance, nor her meager income will allow for her to afford a nonconventional medical fight for her life. We, her friends and family, are asking for your help to give her a chance to beat this, to fight for life, for time with Violet. We are asking for support so that Larissa can receive nonconventional medical treatment and not have to stress about making ends meet while she battles to survive. Most of all, we are asking for peace of mind and a quality of life for her during this time. Thank you for your help, love, support and many prayers.
Update: Larissa is currently in the hospital with fluid on her lungs. The need for help is emergent
Today the Department of Awesomely Good Deeds salutes Holly Christensen, a former oncology nurse and the mother of three kids, who founded an awesome group called The Magic Yarn Project. Volunteer members crochet special wigs modeled after the fancy hair of Disney princesses for children battling cancer. Chemotherapy often causes patients’ scalps to be too sensitive for traditional wigs, so the group uses special “baby” yarn that’s extra soft to crochet beanies that are then transformed into storybook braids and tresses.
Christensen made her first princess wig last year for Lily, a friend’s almost 3-year-old daughter who’d been diagnosed with lymphoma:
“I knew she would be going through a difficult time, and that no one would be able to take her suffering away. I also knew that losing her long, curly blonde hair at not even 3 years old would be difficult for her, so I figured that the yarn wig could help bring a little magic and fun to a difficult time in her life.”
Lily loved her wig so much that Christensen and her partner Bree Hitchcock took their idea to Facebook and began The Magic Yarn Project. Hundreds of people have contacted them interested in donating materials, crochet skills, and their time.
She just got diagnosed with stage IV colon cancer.
She started chemotherapy on Tuesday, 12 May 2015.
She currently has only (U.S.) Medicare for insurance, and there are a lot of things that Medicare won’t cover, or only partially covers. She is 67 years old and on a fixed income. I am a student and work part time at my university, for which I am paid a base $1000/month USD plus my tuition. Between the two of us we make it by on about $2000/month USD, but that was before her diagnosis.
We need your help.
I am raising money to help cover her medical bills and living expenses and any extra costs that we might incur due to her cancer. These extra costs include gas for the hour-plus that we will have to drive for her treatments twice a week, any special dietary needs she may have while on chemo, and that kind of thing.
I am offering to write fic as “thank you gifts” in return for donations to my mom’s cancer fund.
For every $10 that you donate, I will write you 1000 words of fic. (See fandom list under the cut.) Please consider helping us out if you are able to. Even if you are not able to donate, please reblog this post.
Thank you.
If the donate button doesn’t show up (on mobile, etc), please use the email chanceofrainne@charter.net to donate.
I want to begun by thanking everyone who’s donated. The current balance in our donation account stands at about $2000 USD.
Unfortunately we just received the oncologist’s bill for May and June, and our part after Medicare is nearly $3000. This is for 4 chemo cycles. She has to have at least 8 more, plus the surgery and then god knows what else after that.
Please, I am begging everyone, please reblog this again, and if you can spare anything at all to help us out, please do. Mom is really upset about the bill and she’s talking about not taking any more treatments until January when she can get more insurance, but if she does that I’m honestly afraid it’ll kill her.
She just got diagnosed with stage IV colon cancer.
She starts chemotherapy on Tuesday, 12 May 2015.
She currently has only (U.S.) Medicare for insurance, and there are a lot of things that Medicare won’t cover, or only partially covers. She is 67 years old and on a fixed income. I am a student and work part time at my university, for which I am paid a base $1000/month USD plus my tuition. Between the two of us we make it by on about $2000/month USD, but that was before her diagnosis.
We need your help.
I am raising money to help cover her medical bills and living expenses and any extra costs that we might incur due to her cancer. These extra costs include gas for the hour-plus that we will have to drive for her treatments twice a week, any special dietary needs she may have while on chemo, and that kind of thing.
I am offering to write fic as “thank you gifts” in return for donations to my mom’s cancer fund.
For every $10 that you donate, I will write you 1000 words of fic. (See fandom list under the cut.) Please consider helping us out if you are able to. Even if you are not able to donate, please reblog this post.
It wasn’t a war or a fight. Those things have rules. This was more like Aaron getting in the ring with the Mohammed Ali of cancers, and smiling for round after round after he got his teeth knocked out and his face rearranged.
Nora’s been documenting Aaron’s tumor for two and a half years now. Beautifully, openly, sometimes lightly, always poignantly. As she puts it, “It’s not a cancer story, it’s a love story. With some cancer.” You can start that story from the beginning over here.
Aaron passed away yesterday. Our condolences to all those he leaves behind. We’re in awe of your strength, and we’re grateful for this record of your love.
NAN envisions a world where every mother with cancer receives the care she needs for her children – so she has the time to take care of herself. By volunteering their time, Nanny Angels help mothers feel assured that their children are in safe, caring hands while they go to treatment sessions, doctor’s appointments, or simply get some much needed rest.
Holding the Bowl 