This is my niece

Posted Jul 16 2015, 2:44 am

jen

On February 1st 2015, my niece became a teenager. But instead of doing things other thirteen-year olds do, Jennifer got sick. When a lump suddenly developed near her collarbone, my sister had her checked. 

The diagnosis is one no parent should ever hear. Cancer. Hodgkin’s Lymphoma. Chemotherapy. Worse, her parents are divorced and still going through that revenge cycle, saying whatever they can to hurt each other more. While Jennifer sat in a hospital room with a port under her skin, her father was home with his new family, planning a barbecue. Relatives sent money for her medical bills; her father took the money out of all the cards and claimed he’s putting it in a college fund so her mother can’t touch it. 

Her mother is the one who left her job so Jen can have round the clock care. 

Now they’re in danger of losing their house because the bank refuses to work with them to make this impossibly stressful time a little less stressful. 

I’m trying not to be bitter about all this, but it’s damn hard. 

The one bright spot has been the kindness and generosity of friends, like Charlotte, a classmate who set up this GoFundMe account. Please share and donate if you can. 

 

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One response to “This is my niece”

  1. Cheering Jen on!!!