Kids Lemonade Stand Helps Western Kentucky Mom Battling Cancer
Kirsten Swisher was recently diagnosed with Hodgkin's Lymphoma. As she began treatment, her family opened a lemonade stand to raise money to help with medical costs. There are many ways you can help this beautiful family.
THE DIAGNOSIS AND NEXT STEPS
This month has been a whirlwind for this young family because, in August, Kirsten Swisher was diagnosed with Stage 2 Hodgkins Lymphoma. I can't even imagine the turmoil they're going through. I'm sure they feel frustrated, shocked, scared, and overwhelmed following her diagnosis. These feelings are normal and won't go away for a long time. Luckily, they'll be surrounded by family, friends, and the community every step of the way.
Kirsten took to social media to share the devastating diagnosis.
Well, went to the Dr today to get the results of my PET scan and what our next steps are.
Told us it was Stage 2 Hodgkin's Lymphoma.
So since it is stage 2, they did a bone marrow(absolutely horrible) in the office to make sure it's not in my bones.
I get my port on Friday and will possibly start my first chemo next week.
As of right now, we're looking at 6 months with chemo every other week. I have a radiology appt next Wednesday to see if they can do radiation. They weren't for sure because the cancer was so close to my heart. If I can do radiation, it may cut the chemo treatments down to 4 months, I believe.
It was a lot to take in today, and I have done pretty well with all this news for the past 3 weeks. But today, I finally broke down when we started to talk about the kids and taking care of them. I know I have a lot of support and am so thankful for that.
FUNDRAISERS PLANNED TO SUPPORT KIRSTEN
Kirsten is in the fight of her life, but she isn't alone. Family, friends, and the community have banded together to provide financial and emotional support. While Kirsten and Katie focus on her care, their responsibilities at home don't stop. A Venmo account has been set up to help ease the financial burden for the family. They're already under enough stress and anxiety.
With her sister Katlyn's help, Kirsten's children wanted to kick off fundraising efforts. Brayleigh age 9, Camerson age 7, and Emersyn age 5, created a lemonade stand to raise money to help their Mom. They had big goals by selling Lemonade, Sweet Tea, Pumpkin Muffins, Brownie Bites, and more! Well, they exceeded their goal by raising $1,570 on Saturday.
If you couldn't make it to the fundraiser, you can still help by donating via Venmo: @kirstens-fight.
Thank you, everyone, for the prayers, for checking up on us, going to appts with me, just everything. We appreciate it more than anything! Please continue to keep those prayers coming.
TEXAS ROADHOUSE FUNDRAISER
The family is selling Texas Roadhouse prepackaged peanuts for just $5 each. You'll also get a Free Appetizer Card with your purchase. A percentage of the sale will go directly to Kirsten.
This is awesome. It takes a village. Continued prayers for healing. - Shelly Murphy
PURPLE BRACELET FUNDRAISER
You can see the power of faith shining through with each social media update. We pray that God heals her body and that the treatments she receives will be successful. This is such a scary time for the family. The unknown with Kirsten and her medical journey. The scariness of what tomorrow may bring. #prayers