Manahawkin Woman Fights For Her Life: How To Help

MANAHAWKIN, NJ — Amanda Quinn fought not just for her life, but for her family. After diagnosis with a rare form of cancer, a doctor advised her and Garrett to return their six children back to the foster system and she should prepare to die.

But they refused to accept it. Quinn is still fighting, and she and Garrett finalized the adoption of their six children.

As she continues to battle cancer, Cake That is helping the Quinn family. Cake That created a blackberry cobbler cupcake as an homage to Quinn's home state of Oklahoma, where it's a favorite dessert. For every blackberry cobbler cupcake ordered in March, Cake That will donate $1 to the family.

Quinn was diagnosed in July 2018 with leiomyosarcoma, a rare and aggressive form of cancer in her heart, liver and inferior vena cava.

Her doctor didn't think she'd make it. She almost died several times during surgery. But in August 2018, a surgical team in New York performed a 21-hour operation, removing her liver as a cardiothoracic team removed the tumor from her heart and replaced her vena cava with a synthetic sleeve.

"The surgeon also told me that 60% of her liver was already dead from loss of blood and she wouldn't have lived another 24 hours with out the surgery," Garrett Quinn wrote on a GoFundMe.

Quinn spent the next two months in New York rehabbing and undergoing more surgeries to fix complications with her first operation. She returned home to Oklahoma cancer-free in October 2018.

But her first followup CT scan showed the cancer metastasized to her lungs, liver and kidneys. Over the next six months, she traveled back and forth from Oklahoma to New York for treatment until last August.

Then the family moved to Manahawkin so Quinn could get treatment without leaving her family. That allowed the kids to settle into a more normal lifestyle with school and friends.

Quinn participated in a clinical trial for six months. But the tumors began growing again, and she was removed from the trial. She recently began a new treatment regimen where she undergoes 24-hour chemo infusions every three weeks in New York.

Amanda and Garrett had planned to celebrate the adoption of their children by taking them to Disney World. They talked about the trip for three years and finally went a few weeks ago.

"Nothing can take that trip away from us and the amazing memories we’re going to make together," Garrett said.

Click here to donate to the GoFundMe.

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