Native Bonacker 'Fighting For Her Life,' Needs Help

EAST HAMPTON, NY — An East Hampton native is facing the unthinkable, and her daughter has reached out for help — so that her mother might have the gift of precious time.

Kelli Havens created a GoFundMePage for her mother, "Prayers And Help for Wendy Schellinger-Schwob."

Of her mom, Havens wrote: "She is a lifelong Bonacker from East Hampton, a resident of Vero Beach, FL for the last 15 years — and fighting for her life."

She added: "This new year has brought devastation to our family that none of us prepared for. In the first week of January, Wendy went to the hospital for a suspected heart attack. Sadly, it was not a heart attack, but large masses in her lungs that were compressing on her heart."

From that moment, the situation worsened and in just about a week, her mother was diagnosed with multiple blood clots, one in each leg and one in her arm, Havens said.

The oncologist told them that her mother was facing "an aggressive non-smoking type of metastatic lung cancer called NSCLC adenocarcinoma — and she is Stage 4. It has spread beyond her lungs to her bronchial tube, trachea, her bones and lymph nodes," Havens said. "This cancer is inoperable and too big for radiation. However, we still have chemotherapy on the table."

With all the uncertainty in her mother's life, Havens said the GoFundMe is meant to help offset medical bills, co-pays, and other costs that the illness entails.

"Her health insurance pays for most but there are many things that it doesn't— and sometimes we all need a little help or miracle to get us through to the other side," Havens said. "My mother is a fighter and if we can help lessen this burden for her and my stepfather Emil we would be forever grateful."

The most precious gift they are all praying for, she said, is something that's priceless.

"My mom is 64 and loves life; let's get her a little more time and let her breathe easier, knowing that out of all the worries, this won't be one," Havens said. "I thank you all from the bottom of my heart on the behalf of our whole family."

To donate to the GoFundMe page, click here.

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