Hello all,
My name is Felicia Thompson and I am writing this story on behalf of Tonya and Phil Maresca. They recently received news that Phil, my uncle, is able to receive treatment from the cancer center in Houston, Texas. They have been there for 2 going on 3 weeks because this was one of the requirements for the cure.
Emergency funds are needed and the total cost for the treatment is $25,000, which is hard for the family to come up with. This is why we are reaching out for help. Loans have been taken out to help with the commute, not to mention the payment for the treatment, by my grandparents, Joleen and Roger Mason. That still isn’t enough. We have asked other members of the family to help pay for Phil’s back and forth traveling, blood work, port surgery and other necessary needs, unfortunately these members of the family haven’t been here much to help us out, but they have given us $15,000 to start.
Tonya has been asking for more but really isn’t getting anywhere with that, but we thank these family members for helping us out. Monthly payments have to be made of $5500 for a minimum of 20 months to keep the treatment for Phil going, this is an ongoing process.
As being here my family and I are going a little crazy taking care of Tonya and Phil’s two sons, Phillip, 16 and Giovanni, 13. Also getting other people from the outside to help raise money for Phil. My uncle’s girlfriend, Michele and I have set up a Facebook and Twitter account to get the word out as well.
My uncle has an 85% chance of fighting this cancer. Tonya has been doing everything she can to take care of Phil, his daily care taker 24/7. My uncle has been fighting off his brain cancer for two years and doesn’t plan on stopping now. He doesn’t have much energy to do anything anymore but he is still here with us. Many people ask questions like, “Where did this come from?” or, “How did Phil receive this cancer?” These are questions that no one knows the answer to.
Growing up my cousins and I were always told that god has a plan for everyone. But in Phil’s eyes god's plan seems to be going the wrong way. Both Tonya and Phil Maresca appreciate everyone’s help and support in having hope for Phil. This doesn’t mean that we are stopping here, we still want to have people donate, even if it’s just $1 and keep praying for the Maresca family. I would like to give special thanks to both my Aunt and Uncle for giving me the opportunity to write this story and get the word out, my mother and father for standing behind me to help get the funds for the family, my grandparents for being there whenever Tonya needs them and my Uncle Tim and Michele for helping set up the Facebook and Twitter accounts to help spread the word out even more. In ending this story I would like everyone to have a great holiday and a happy new year.
