In 2018, Pat Steed was diagnosed with metastatic breast cancer. Hers was aggressive, HER2+, but Pat is a survivor and has an unending bright light that, along with her husband and her four children, buoyed her through surgery, chemo, and radiation.
She is a survivor.
Through chemo and radiation, she continued her work teaching American government and economics to her high school students, encouraging and supporting them with her contagious personality, pithy statements, and great humor.
But this cancer has now spread to her brain and Pat showed amazing strength to move through a serious surgery and hospital stay during this serious pandemic: with no visitation from four children or her husband Mick, no cards or flowers allowed, no parents, no friends. That the definition of amazing strength to me.
And she finally made it home. But the brain has a say in everything we do. And the work to get her back on her feet began with lots of PT, help from Mick, but all in as much isolation as possible due to our time and her compromised system. This surgery affected her eyesight, her ability to walk, her balance, and her energy.
But there is one thing it hasn't taken: her bright light.
She, Mick, along with their four children, Jack, Dave, Ed, and Carly are gearing up for the next fight.
And we're going to join them. Because of COVID none of us can be in the waiting room, or send our well-wishes in cards, but we can come together and help ease the mounting medical bills that neither Pat nor Mick mention.
On top of the medical bills, COVID has deeply affected Mick's business MLE (Music Lessons Express:
https://musiclessonsexpress.com (
https://musiclessonsexpress.com)). This has been a hard hit. And their income and insurance together are not nearly enough to combat medical bills of this magnitude.
Other ways of helping are to share this story. If you can post this on your social media pages to share Pat's story with friends who know Pat and Mick it would be a tremendous help.
