A ticking in her ear, brain fog when she’d try to complete tasks at work, nausea and vertigo set Caitlyn Mercado on the journey of her young life last August.
Following a misdiagnosis at an urgent care facility, she sought answers at a local hospital, unprepared for what would happen next. “How,” she wondered, “does a healthy 27-year-old have brain cancer?”
By September, the challenges of being a cancer patient, as well as the mother of a kindergarten-aged son, had multiplied: four brain surgeries; an infection that required removal of a section of her skull, and a replacement metal plate; aggressive radiation treatment five times/week; immunotherapy; multiple teams of doctors, from plastic surgeons to oncologists. The personal sorrow of having to miss her son’s first day of school. And some tough choices as complications arose.
“Every day is a different appointment,” she said. “My diagnosis affects everyone around me, including my son, who continues to be a bright spot in my life.”
And being a patient has affected all aspects of her life. “The tumor grew four centimeters in four months. I had stroke symptoms. But I wasn’t having a stroke. I can’t drive. The chemo affects my senses. I smell bleach a lot. The metal plate in my head gets cold quickly. But I can’t wear a hat yet. And it’s still uncomfortable to lie on my right side. Then, the clinical trial added complications. My doctors stressed the cancer takes priority—for now, we allow other problems to take a second seat.”
Fortunately, she had another team she could count on to help. Dear friends Dina Cangin, Taylor Silva and Dianna Jones stepped in to raise and offer support.
Jones, who lived around the block, had known Mercado since she and Jones’s daughter were 5 years old and falling off bicycles. She invited Mercado to stay with her, which she did for six to eight weeks.
Cangin started a fundraiser. She and Silva chose the weekend before Thanksgiving, and, with help from Artie, a member of VFW Post 414 and Jones’s former father-in-law, secured the hall for the event. “We knew it would be a perfect location, right in the center of town. And Bob [Galbraith] was very helpful,” Jones said.
“We sold T-shirts. That money funded the event. We made flyers. Put up signs. We got the word out on Facebook, Instagram, through word of mouth. Whatever it took,” she continued. “And it exploded.”
“So many people wanted to help. People remembered Caitlyn from her work at Teachers Federal Credit Union and her participation in so many events to help others. Not one person refused an offer for the raffle. People who came as vendors stayed on to help, doing little services, offering their expertise to create little events within the event, including Paul Wyle, who appeared as Elvis.”
On Sunday, “the most beautiful day in November,” Jones recalled, the community turned out in force to help Mercado.
At 12:30 p.m., nearly two hours before doors opened, a line of 25 to 30 people waited. The women watched as a constant stream of people filled the hall, keeping the Little Pizza Pie truck busy, the coffee flowing, their vehicles parked in every available space outside.
Thanks to the generosity and contributions of Crazy A Parties & 360 Photo Booth, DJ Anthony Tucci, Helping Makes You Happy, Sean Henderson, the CTE program at William Floyd, Next Gen Spray Foam, All Wood Home Improvements, Raelene’s Hair Studio, The Sweet Supplier, Michael Aiello Tattoos, John Diomede Wood Creations, Salt and Sparks Permanent Jewelry, American Dream Abstract, Druek Hardware, and Nicole Hickey, the event was a massive success.
The warmth and generosity of family, friends, and community have touched Mercado deeply.
“Knowing someone directly affected by cancer changes your life,” she said. “Nothing is promised. Having the right people around you is so important. Because health is such a blessing.”
Jones agreed. “It really brought the community together in a beautiful way.”
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