Archive for the ‘Our Work’ Category

My name is Kristin, a mother of a beautiful daughter. I was diagnosed with breast cancer at the age of 38. Throughout my treatments, I have stayed strong and positive with the help of my family and friends. While undergoing chemotherapy treatments at North Kansas City Hospital, I meet Monika, the clinical pharmacist on the oncology unit.    Not only did she help me thru the treatments but she also introduced me to the Jennifer Ireland Foundation. Being a single mom and undergoing treatments I needed some help. I wanted to thank the Ireland Foundation so much for their help. It has made a tremendous impact on my life and has allowed me to let my daughter Claire continue some of the “normal” activities in her life. I wanted to share with everyone my daughter’s thoughts thru my journey:

Hi, my name is Claire Rose. I’m 11 years old and my mom was diagnosed with breast cancer July of 2008. It all started last year when the doctors found a tumor when my mom was getting one of her yearly mammograms. My mother started screening for breast cancer in her early 20’s due to strong family history of breast cancer.

After getting a biopsy, the doctor called and told us that my mom had breast cancer. A few months went by as we let the thought of my mom having breast cancer soak in. After much thought and discussion with doctors my mom underwent surgery at M.D. Anderson Cancer Center.

The doctors told us that my mom’s cancer is Stage 1 which means it was detected very early thanks to her getting so many mammograms every year. Unfortunately, her cancer was invasive and found to be triple negative. Because of the strong family history of breast cancer, my mom underwent genetic testing which showed that she is BRCA 1 positive. All of these things helped the doctors decide to give my mom strong chemotherapy drugs to make sure the cancer stays away for good. The chemotherapy drugs would make her lose her hair so she went ahead and shaved her head. That way losing her hair wouldn’t be as emotional. I would have to say that she look very beautiful with the peach fuzz on top of her head. She started her chemotherapy at North Kansas City Hospital in October of 2008.

After all her chemotherapy has been finished, her body will get to rest a few months. Mom will then have another surgery called an oopherectomy and a hysterectomy at MD Anderson due to her being tested positive for BRCA1. After everything is done, mom will have to go to M.D. Anderson every 3 months for check ups.

Throughout this whole journey I have felt every emotion there is to feel: sad, happy, mad, you name it and I’ve felt it. Here is one piece of advice I give to women fighting breast cancer; Stay strong and help your loved one fight and win this battle of cancer!

To the Jennifer Ireland Foundation,

I want to thank you for your generosity and the helping hand you gave my family and I.  I was diagnosed with Cancer in August 2008, went through surgery, and 3 months of chemo.  I am self-employed, so if I don’t work I don’t get paid.  With the help of my friends and family and your wonderful foundation, we are able to keep the lights on and other bills paid.

Your help came just at the right time, because, not only did I go through 3 months of chemo, now I have to have knee surgery and I also do not have any work due to the economy.  My wife and I were just having the conversation, then you called and it is a true blessing.  We had a couple turn off notices that your organization helped us with and not to mention, quite a few other bills.  Thank you so much!  May God bless all of you who involved in this awesome organization!  Thank you again from the bottom of my heart.

My name is Angi. I am a mother of four amazing children, a wife, and an aunt to six wonderful kids. I have been fighting colon cancer since June of 2008. Due to my young age and strong family history of colon cancer (grandfather died at 55 of colon cancer, mother died at 40 of colon cancer, and my sister died at 25 of colon cancer), I saw Dr. Geier, a Genetic Oncologist. I tested positive for Lynch Syndrome, which means that I am more likely to get cancer in my colon, stomach, uterus, and ovaries before the age of 50. I began traditional chemotherapy yet was unfortunate in that my disease did not respond and actually progressed. My oncologist contacted MD Anderson in Houston to see if I would qualify for a clinical trial. I will be traveling down in the next few days to discuss my treatment options. I wanted to thank the Jennifer Ireland Foundation for there assistance in some of my medical/travel expenses. Thank you so very much.
 

I am a 34 year old mother of two girls batting metastatic hepatocellular cancer. I was first diagnosed in 2001 and underwent surgical removal. We thought I was in the clear. After six years of being termed “cancer free” the cancer came back. The fight has begun. I have undergone two additional surgeries, five chemotherapy treatments, and thirty-three radiation treatments. I am trying every way possible to survive. Unfortunately, with my fight comes medical and travel expenses needed for treatments. It has been thru the generosity of many that I am able to focus on my fight against cancer. I wish to thank the Jennifer Ireland Foundation in helping my family and I with some of my medical expenses.  

If you wish to follow my journey please visit www.fightforjackie.com

My name is Shawndra Turner. I am a wife of 3 years, a mother of a 20 month old, a sister, a daughter, a friend, a nurse practitioner and now a cancer patient. I am 31, just turned in July. At the age of 30, I was diagnosed with a rare form of colorectal cancer. Everyone was shocked, even the doctor who found it after performing a colonoscopy. He even thought the test would come back normal. I started having symptoms after I had my daughter, Ella, but thought this was normal after having a baby. Being a nurse practitioner, I thought I probably had Irritable Bowel Syndrome, something common and didn’t think much of it. The symptoms persisted and finally I went to the doctor to get it checked out. My world was turned up side down. I was just getting started with my family, and my career and now my life was in danger.

This type of cancer is statistically aggressive and non-curable. The prognosis, needless to say, was not good. I started treatment right away. I had six weeks of chemo and radiation and continued to work until I was so tired I couldn’t work anymore and still come home to care for my family. My daughter was 10 months at the time of diagnosis. I then had surgery in January. The doctors removed the 10 cm mass in my colon and rectum, as well as performing a total hysterectomy on me. My desire to have another child, which we were just getting ready to do, was shattered. During my surgery, the surgeon saw that the cancer had spread throughout my abdomen, my omentum, and the tissues in my pelvis, as well as surrounding my left kidney. They could not remove it all. As soon as I healed enough, about four weeks later, I started another regimen of chemotherapy.

As I went through all this, one of my neighbors found Jennifer Ireland’s website and immediately thought of me. The similarities between her and I were uncanny. I read through her site, beginning to end. For some reason, knowing that I wasn’t alone was comforting. I immediately felt a bond to her and her family. I eventually got connected with Chris Ireland and Jan Velander, Jenn’s mother. I also had my husband help start a blog to tell my story. I believe it helps me to write how I am feeling and what I am going through. I have gained a huge support system, and thrive on all the thoughts and prayers I receive from people I don’t even know around the world. Chris and Jan started reading my blog and felt a connection as well. They were so kind as to choose me as the first recipient from the Jennifer Ireland Foundation. I was shocked but blessed to receive this great honor. I am not currently working, and with medical bills, cost of medication, paying for daycare for Ella etc. this really helped Doug and I financially.

There is so much we are going through during this time, the last thing we need to worry about is finances. Thanks to the Jennifer Ireland foundation and the kindness of Chris Ireland and the board, we had to worry about one less thing in our lives. We are forever grateful! Now I can concentrate on being a mother, a wife, a daughter, and a friend for hopefully a very long time.