Welcome to this CaringBridge website for Jenny Kessem and her family. We are using it to keep family and friends updated in one place.
For those of you newer to this information, Jenny has breast cancer. She had her first mammogram ever in July and it produced some abnormalities. After a biopsy, she was diagnosed with DCIS, (Stage 0 breast cancer) on August 24th. But a few weeks after that, further testing revealed that the diagnosis was more serious than originally suggested, and the cancer had spread to her lymph nodes. At this point, the cancer is at Stage 3. Jenny is currently participating in a clinical trial with hormone blockers as the treatment. At the end of four months of the clinical trial in early February, she will need to have a unilateral mastectomy. After a month of recovery from surgery, Jenny will have four months of chemotherapy. Following that will be radiation, and then reconstructive surgery if she so chooses.
In the meantime, as most of you likely know, the Kessems are still dealing with their recovery from mold and their 5 and 1/2 months of intense transitional living, during which time they moved 9 times, followed incredibly intricate treatment modalities, and needed to get rid of many of their belongings. They just moved back into their home on September 9th, and are currently living without furniture as they await to see if the home will be clear enough of mold for them to settle in. At that point they will need to buy most household items new, including all new furniture. The items they hope to keep will need to be treated for mold, which is complicated, expensive and risky. They are also still in construction and part of the house is still not livable.
The Kessems are so grateful for the love and support of their community. As the weeks and months unfold and they continue to learn more about the road ahead, they would greatly benefit from practical support--including meals, childcare, support with doctor's visits, and assistance moving back into their home post mold-remediation. This site will be a place where they can offer updates and make specific requests. If you click on "Ways to Help" on this site, you can connect with ways to donate your time and/or money. We so appreciate your support and words of hope and encouragement. Thank you for visiting.
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Raya and Wilder under the tallit on Rosh Hashana
Me holding the broken Torah on Rosh Hashana
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