My mother is what brought me to Shirley's Way
March 2015, my Senior year of high school. I was eighteen years old and eager to graduate and go off to college. Until one night, my beautiful, hard working mother started glowing yellow. I immediately knew something was wrong. I rushed her to the hospital and after several tests, we found out it was stage 2 pancreatic cancer. A death sentence. How was it, that my 55 year old mother who worked 40 hours a week, providing for her family, enjoying life, was given this diagnosis? My mother was a bartender for 35 years. She never had health insurance. She didn't have a will, a life insurance policy, or even a college degree. She had worked her entire life doing what she loved, she never thought this would happen to her.
If you don't know someone impacted by cancer, consider yourself lucky. It not only takes a toll on you physically, but also financially. My mother couldn't work anymore. She was having surgeries, chemo treatments, even radiation. Disability didn't kick in for 6 months, my father was retired, so that left me. I had to grow up quicker than most kids my age. I had to learn about food stamps, medicaid, mortgages and paying bills. No parent wants to see their child having to work and go to school to try and provide for their family, but I didn't have a choice.
Until things got bad. The bank hit us with something I had never heard of before. A balloon note. This meant, we owed $40,000 in about two months or we we're going to lose our house. Obviously, not many people have this kind of cash sitting aside. We we're in a panic. All while my mom is fighting this terrible disease. If my aunt hadn't heard about Shirley's Way, we would have been homeless. They stepped in and paid a few of our mortgages while we refinanced and solved the issue. After we had that taken care of, our food stamps got taken away. Now, a family of three was left with no food and our refrigerator went out. Shirley's Way bought us a new refrigerator and sent us a gift card to Kroger. It was things that most people take for granted, that we would have lost had it not been for Shirley's Way. My mother passed away November 21, 2018, Shirley's Way was able to do a fundraiser to help cover final expenses and get her a proper headstone because I wouldn't have been able to.
This is just one story. My story. I kept my house. I kept my family together. I was able to let my Mom live out the rest of her life comfortable and knowing that my father and I we're going to be taken care of even after she was gone. Please consider a small monthly donation. Every little bit helps. You will truly change the lives of cancer patients and their families who are fighting to survive. Thank you all so much.