Lori’s Cancer Battle: Funeral Aid Needed

Hello, my name is Halee. My mom, Lori, went through a cancer battle in 2018 for 2 years and was in remission from 2020 till 2024. During her first battle with cancer, she had a double mastectomy and went through numerous surgeries and struggles aside from cancer. At this time last year, she received the awful news that not only was the cancer back, but it had metastasized into the lining of her stomach, as well as nodules on her lung, chest wall, and bowels. She started treatment to manage the cancer, and after a long, hard year of doctor’s appointments, 3 different kinds of chemo, immunotherapy, surgeries, stents, and more, she ended up back in the hospital with heart failure after only being out of the hospital for 3 days.

Today (5/7/25), I sat with my mom and had to have the conversation with the doctors that treatment is not working and her cancer has advanced so much that there is no longer anything else they can do to manage it. Aside from managing it, chemo is causing her so many issues, and they said it’s just flat out not helping in any way. She currently has been getting her stomach drained from ascites (fluid caused by cancer) once a week, with 4-6 liters being drained each time. They are putting in a permanent drain and sending her home on hospice.

Due to having a cancer diagnosis, she cannot get life insurance as we have tried numerous places. I am not one to ask for help, and neither is my mom, but we have zero way of paying for funeral expenses or any last wishes. All my mom wants is a celebration of life viewing and to be cremated. I am now swallowing my pride and asking my peers for help in raising money to make sure that this burden is taken off of mom’s shoulders so that she can spend any days she has with us creating memories and spending time with her 8 children, many grandbabies, and all of those who love her. Anything truly helps, even if it is a share. This is not an easy situation, and when that time comes, I want to be able to grieve my mother, not stress over giving her the celebration, funeral, and memorial she deserves.