Dear Friend, loved
one, or soon-to-be friend or loved one,
As you may or may not
know, Julie Mueller, a seamstress, bibliophile, fishing enthusiast, loving dog
rescuer, and wonderful mother of one daughter and one Corgi, was recently
diagnosed with Stage 3 Multiple Myeloma, an incurable, but treatable, form of
bone cancer.
After months of
misdiagnosis at other clinics, the incredible doctors at Moffitt Cancer Center
spotted and removed a malignant softball-sized tumor off of her left knee. Since
then, she has been undergoing high doses of chemotherapy to prevent any other
kind of sports equipment-shaped tumors from growing out of her bones.
While to date, there
are no footballs or frisbees under her skin, the chemo has taken a toll on her
both physically and financially as the knee surgery and chemicals have left her
completely unable to work. Now, with the hope of
going into remission, Julie will be undergoing an autologous bone marrow
transplant (BMT). While we are thinking positive, we know this will be a very
long, very painful procedure that will leave her physically, emotionally, and
financially exhausted.
We know this is not
going to be an easy process. We know it’s not going to be fun. But we know we
want to make sure it is the best experience it can be.
In order to ensure
this, we are doing three things:
STEP ONE TO BEST BMT
EXPERIENCE EVER: I (MIRANDA) AM MOVING TO FLORIDA
I, Miranda, Julie's
daughter, am leaving my job and moving from Paris, France to Sarasota, Florida
to be with my mother and to become her full-time caretaker during this 30-day
journey.
STEP TWO TO BEST BMT
EXPERIENCE EVER: JULIE, MIRANDA, AND FOXY ARE SHAVING THEIR HEADS TOGETHER!
Normally, the
“Drain-o”-like chemicals would flow through her during the operation to kill all
the bad cancer cells in her bone marrow, thereby killing her hair follicles in
the process. Instead of waiting for the medication to take its toll, Julie is
going to beat the meds to the punch and shave her head first! To show her
solidarity, Miranda is also going to shave her head - 16 inches of it! - and
donate it to Locks of Love. Foxy, Julie's corgi, who was unable to provide an
eloquent reasoning other than "Awooo!", will be getting a full two inches of dog
hair shaved off the top of her head as well. We imagine our favorite canine
companion would want to be part of our group of cancer-free, hair-free ladies,
too! Of course we will record the entire process and keep you updated throughout
the process through our website on the Caring Bridge.
STEP THREE TO BEST
BMT EXPERIENCE EVER: WE ARE ASKING YOU FOR HELP!
Nope. Not asking you
to shave your head - don't worry! We are just asking you to make a small
sacrifice of your own to support us during this process. If you make a
tax-deductible monetary donation in any amount to our One-to-One fund through the Bone Marrow Organization
,
,
you will be helping
Julie stay comfortable during and after the bone marrow transplant. With your
help, she will be able to pay for:
- Co-pays and deductibles for medicines and doctor visits
- Outstanding medical bills
- Lodging pre- and post-operation
- Transportation to and from Moffitt Cancer Center (one and a half hours away from her home in Sarasota, FL)
- Grocery bills
- Cell phone bills
- A dog-walker (Foxy is part of this too!)
- Fun activities (cards/games/etc) to help us pass the time
- Many other practical, unpredictable expenses
Though we do not have
a lot of money, we do have a lot of love, so after you donate, please keep in
touch with us through our facebook and Blogger.com sites, listed below! We
want to show you how much we appreciate your help and want to keep you with us
as part of this process.
At the other end of
this tunnel, Julie will have a new cancer-free body full of good stem cells and
good love. Please help us get there!
Contact Julie at: jglienna@gmail.com
Contact Miranda at: mueller.miranda@gmail.com
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