Mary Jo Stevens
Mary Jo Stevens, a single mother of two adult daughters, had been working as a nurse for over a decade when she began to have chronic fatigue in 2010. This marked the beginning of a difficult road ahead for Mary Jo.
Devastatingly, Mary Jo was laid off from her job, and her fatigue was thought to be a result of stress. Then her mother became terminally ill and Mary Jo took on the role of caregiver. As she cared for her mother she continued to experience fatigue, rib and back pain, as well as frequent bouts of bronchitis. Once again her symptoms were attributed to stress.
In May of 2011, at the same time as her mother passed away, Mary Jo’s kidneys began to fail. She finally went for testing to find the source of her continued health issues. Mary Jo was diagnosed with light chain disease, a type of multiple myeloma which causes bone lesions and impaired kidney function. This accounted for all the pain she had been experiencing.
At this time, Mary Jo is preparing for an autologous stem cell transplant and is unable to work. She no longer has health insurance and has been struggling financially as a result of her increasing expenses. She is grateful for the emotional support that her friends and family are providing, but she needs assistance with financial support. In order to help pay for her medical expenses, Mary Jo has turned to the Bone Marrow & Cancer Foundation to set up this special One-to-One Fund.
Click here to contribute to Mary Jo’s One-to-One Fund
Or you can send a check, payable to the Bone Marrow & Cancer Foundation.
Be sure to include Mary Jo’s name on the front of the check.
Send check to:
the Bone Marrow & Cancer Foundation
515 Madison Avenue, Suite 1130
New York, New York 10022