Claremore teacher Shani Woodruff is asking for help, but not for herself. Her 55-year-old cousin, Lesa Walker of Claremore, was recently given the news that she has Stage IV colon cancer. At her diagnosis four weeks ago, she was given 10-12 weeks to live without treatment.
Lesa was a longtime employee of the Williams Company, where she met her husband. A diabetic, her husband had both legs amputated shortly after marriage. Lesa was a faithful caregiver to him until he passed away. The couple had no children. Over the years, Lesa has also cared for both of her grandmothers and a grandfather. She has since lost both grandmothers and her father. Now after the cancer diagnosis, she is unable to help anymore. Lesa is an only child, so the burden has always fallen to her to help out.
Without medical insurance, Lesa wasn’t a regular visitor to the doctor. When her pain became unbearable, she visited the emergency room, only to receive the devastating news. She has received some assistance for her current medical bills, but has several that have stacked up over the past couple of months that she needs to pay.
Shani and her family have started a GoFundMe page in a desperate attempt to raise money for chemo treatments that are absolutely necessary. She doesn’t have private insurance and has applied for state assistance, but it likely won’t come through in a timely manner.
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