Hello Friends!
Never in my life did I anticipate being in this vulnerable and needy situation. And yet here I am asking for your help.
This past November, I went to the ER with some intense belly pain. A few days later, right during Thanksgiving, I received a colon cancer diagnosis. The plan was to do surgery to remove the diseased portion of my colon, but the surgery failed due to the widespread of disease. Instead, they put on a colostomy bag and told me to get ready for intense chemo and radiation treatments.
More scans revealed that the cancer was already stage 4 and had spread to my lymph tissue and pelvis wall. The local oncologist gave me little hope. She forecasted 6 months if we do nothing, and 12-18 months of unrelenting rounds of chemo until my body simply couldn’t do it anymore. The surgeon disagreed. He thought chemo might squeeze another 3-5 years out of me at best. Either way, the 5-year survival rates for stage four colon cancer are really low (like 12%) if you stick with conventional care.
Well, that’s just not good enough for me! My youngest child just turned seven. I strongly feel that I have a lot of unfinished work left to do on this earth and I mean to stick around and get it done!
With the help of a good friend, we located a holistic cancer clinic in Phoenix, AZ that is confident they can help me get a handle on this diagnosis and help me live a long and wonderful life. But it means leaving my kids behind for months. It means spending precious time away from home in the hopes of a recovery.
We left our family behind on December 22 and began treatments at the clinic in Phoenix Dec. 23rd. Spending Christmas thousands of miles away from our young children was definitely a new experience, and one that I hope we never have to repeat.
With the help of generous friends, family, and anonymous donors, treatments are underway and going well. The integrative approach at this oncology center is very unique. I’m learning a lot about my own health, my own body, and root causes of illness. The staff here are passionate about their mission to help cancer patients live full and meaningful lives, and so am I! I’m ready to take on this journey of healing and make the most of it so that I can complete whatever mission God has for me on this earth.
I never thought I’d leave my kids thousands of miles behind me while seeking my own wellness, but the truth is that I’m fighting for my life right now. I better serve my family by improving my health than by staying comfortably home and letting my health continue to decline. This decision has been agonizing, but we felt led by the spirit to take action quickly and we are confident that we have been led to a reliable resource that can help us recover our future together as a family. Daniel and I both feel that this is in God’s hands. Step, by step, he’s leading us on this journey. It has been amazing to watch Him guide us and care for us up to this point in our cancer walk. But less than two weeks in, we’re just getting started and we have a long way to go emotionally, spiritually, physically, and financially.
This amazing clinic functions outside the conventional medical system and does not take our insurance. Each day we must pay cash for treatments before the treatment can begin. The treatments are costly. We had to find housing and transportation during peak snowbird season, and we are still supporting our family back home. The financial piece can often feel quite overwhelming.
I know you’re probably still recovering from the holidays. You have your own family to care for. You have your own struggles and worries. I totally understand. But if you have even a little bit of wiggle room in your budget to help me get the medical treatment I’m seeking, I would be so grateful. No amount is too small. I know that anything you give represents love, sacrifice, and faith. If all you can do is pray and share this link, then we are grateful! That helps too!!
With your help, I look forward to many happy, healthy years with my family as we continue to navigate this crazy thing called life.
Thank you!!
PS: If you’d prefer to donate by venmo, paypal, or cashapp, please use the “contact” button under the Organizer Information on this page. Let us know what works best and we can arrange that for you.
Much love and Many, many thanks!!
Kelly Araneda