Life can change in the blink of an eye. We’ve heard it many times, but for a Bridgeport mother of three, it happened on March 14.

 

Raising two daughters and a son, Vanessa Sandy was working two jobs and though she was experiencing some unusual symptoms, she didn’t feel she had time to go to the doctor. And when she finally did, she was immediately diagnosed with Acute Myeloid Leukemia. For the past 12 days, she has been a patient at Ruby Memorial Hospital and is currently undergoing intense chemotherapy for her aggressive cancer. She will likely be at the Morgantown medical facility for some time.

 

Sandy’s sprits are good. Focusing on returning to her three kids, she has the will -  and faith in God - to get well.

 

“Vanessa is a strong woman and a fighter,” said a friend who established a GoFundMe page for Sandy. “She amazes me every day. She may get knocked down, but this girl doesn’t stay down.”

 

In addition to working two jobs and running a side business to further supplement her family’s income, Sandy is a volunteer for Pet Helpers and often fosters homeless pets.

 

The GoFundMe page encourages prayer for Sandy's healing. It also provides opportunity for members of the community – or anyone touched by her story – to make a financial donation to her mounting medical bills.

 

Sandy shared her story and encourages anyone noticing unusual symptoms to get medical attention right away.

 

She said it all started about a month ago when she started noticing a lot of bruising. She didn’t think much of it for a couple of reasons.

 

“I was taking Ibuprofin and Aleve pretty often because I was struggling with my Carpal Tunnel  Syndrome,” she said. “In addition to that, I was working two very physical jobs and it wasn’t out of the ordinary for me to have bumped into something that would cause a bruise.”

 

In addition to the bruising, Sandy was feeling especially exhausted. Again, that didn’t seem unusual considering her busy schedule. When she came down with a sore throat – and thereafter experiencing dizziness and stomach issues, she decided it was time to visit a doctor. It was a Saturday, after her shift when her mom took her to urgent care.

 

“They didn’t see anything wrong with me, but noticed that my lymph nodes were enlarged,” she said. “The doctor just gave me an antibiotic and told me to follow up with my primary care physician.”

 

The following Monday, she called her doctor to schedule an appointment – assuming it would be several days before she could get in.

 

“By luck – and the grace of God – they happened to have a cancellation the next morning,” she said. “Even though I really couldn’t afford to take off work, I was getting worried and my family and friends were getting worried, so I called off.”

 

From that time of her doctor examination, it was a whirlwind.

 

“The doctor ordered a lot of bloodwork to try to rule things out,” she said. “My appointment was at 8 a.m. and I went straight to the lab to have my bloodwork completed by 10 a.m. By 12:45 p.m., I was diagnosed with leukemia and was told by my doctor that she was sending me straight to Ruby and I would have a room ready within the hour and would be expected to stay for several weeks.”

 

Sandy said the tremendous support and out pouring of love have been overwhelming and that seeing how many people care is just one of the many blessing that have and will be coming from her journey.

 

She is a longtime Bridgeport resident and a 2004 graduate of Bridgeport High School. 

 

“Vanessa is a Bridgeport local, one of our own. Most of us have been devastated by cancer one way or another,” said Sandy’s friend Sonya Kalany. “So I'm hoping if we can get the word out there our great little community can think of ways to help whether it be through monetary donations or other ways.”

 

Access Sandy’s GoFundMe page HERE. A goal of $5,000 has been established; $1,715 of which has been raised.