What started out as a normal Tuesday, quickly turned into a day our family will never forget. My sister, Jordan, made an appointment with an Orthopedic Specialist in Charleston, SC where she and her Husband, Titus, live. Jordan had been suffering from back pain for the last couple of months.  X-rays were taken and everything started to change once they were read. The Orthopedic Specialist explained to Jordan that, based on what he saw on her X-rays, he was having her processed for immediate admission into the Medical University of South Carolina’s (MUSC) main hospital for additional testing. By the following morning, while in the hospital awaiting results, the DRs started discussing Cancer.

During the three days Jordan spent in the hospital, with Titus by her side, a gamut of tests were run including a CT scan, multiple MRIs, blood tests, and a biopsy.  When she was discharged, we were told there was an 85% chance that what they had seen on all the scans was in fact multiple cancerous masses within her chest cavity. Jordan and Titus were exhausted and could do nothing more than wait, like the rest of the family.

Over the next two weeks, there were more tests, more doctor’s appointments, and finally a diagnosis.  What we now know is Jordan has Adenocarcinoma, one of 3 varieties of Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer, and that it is Stage IV because there are a total of 4 spots throughout her body.  The largest spot found is the one near her back, which is pressing tightly against her spine and was the cause of the pain that sent her to a doctor in the first place. We have also found out over the last few days that she is EGFR + with the genetic testing, which will allow for some targeted therapies as well.

Jordan is only 33 years old, has never been a smoker, and has lived a very healthy life to this point.  One of the hardest struggles at this stage for Jordan, and the rest of us, has been understanding how this could happen. It seems so far from realistic, a bad dream with everyone waiting for their alarm to wake them up. Yet it is the reality we now have.

Some treatments have already begun, including new pain management for Jordan to ease the discomfort in her back as well as radiation to begin targeting that spot. The goal for  the radiation is that it shrinks the mass in her back allowing her compressed vertebrae to begin healing.

MUSC has worked up a treatment plan, which for now, is a targeted drug therapy based on the genetic marker identified within her cancer. At the same time, we have sent her records off for review by Memorial Sloan Kettering Hospital in New York City, one of the top treatment centers for Lung Cancer in the country, to see if they think there is anything they could offer in terms of treatment. In the meantime, though, Jordan’s Oncology Team has been open about what to expect, what types of treatments might come next, and that if she’s ready to fight, they think remission/No Evidence of Disease (NED) could be possible for her, but Jordan will face a tough battle.

The very last thing we want Jordan and Titus to have to worry about, now or in the future, is the financial aspect of treatment and everything with it.  We know insurance will cover some things but there are treatments and therapies that will not be covered, partially or otherwise.  Titus remains working full time, but Jordan has had to take Short Term Leave that will potentially turn to Long-Term while she undergoes treatment. This will cause them to lose a portion of their income through this difficult time. 

Many of you have asked Jordan and Titus, our parents, or me how you can help and what you can do for us. As you all are probably aware, my family would typically be the last people to ask for this type of help, but we are at a point that we would do anything we could, at any cost to save my sister’s life. With that in mind I’ve created this site to hopefully raise enough to keep our minds off the financial aspect of what is coming next and help Jordan and Titus push through the tough fight ahead of them.

We thank every single one of you for every kind thought and prayer you have shared and will continue to share for Jordan as she begins this fight. There’s nothing more I’m looking forward to than coming back to this page and eventually letting you know she won the fight.

In addition to this GoFundMe, we have bracelets and other fundraising merchandise that will be available in the coming weeks!

Thank you for your time in reading this and for considering giving to Jordan and Titus.

Thanks and love to all,

The Van Winkle/Rossman/Haney families