Ernie Shepherd’s family submitted a wish on his behalf because they are raising funds to send him to San Diego, California so that he may fulfill a promise of releasing a family member’s ashes into the ocean at La Jolla Beach. Stella’s Wish is granting their wish and will get Ernie to San Diego from his home in Missouri.
Brooke, age 25, had her brain cancer return just 2 months after her wedding in 2021. She has a stage 4 astrocytoma (or glioblastoma). She has had a difficult recovery since her craniotomy in September and has deficits in speech and motor function on her right side. She has had radiation, chemo and recently completed an immunotherapy to try to manage the brain swelling she has been plagued with. She will likely be on disability for the rest of her life. This has been particularly difficult for someone like her who just a few years ago was a Big 12 collegiate level cheerleader at Texas Tech and used to be very active.
Her new husband has been by her side all the way and so supportive in her treatment and recovery. It’s not something any newlyweds should have to endure. Her treatment has been difficult so far and she has had some setbacks. Brain cancer is a relentless and devastating.
She has a loving husband and supportive family. She loves to travel but hasn’t been able to do much, since most of her time has been in therapy and treatment since the wedding. She would love to take her new husband to Chicago to show him where she grew up and some of her favorite places. Her parents made a wish for her, as they want to see her be able to make as many memories as possible.
Stella’s Wish is granting their wish and sending Brooke and her husband to Chicago.
Lorraine has been undergoing treatment for 2 years and is considered stage 4 with metastisis to multiple areas. She is only 46 years old and is progressing to the point she can no longer work as a nurse. Her kids and husband love football, in particular the Buffalo Bills. Stella’s Wish Foundation has arranged for Lorraine and family to go to a Buffalo Bills pre-season football game!
Christa would love to be able to go on a memorable trip with her husband and kids before she gets too sick to enjoy it. Stella’s Wish will send a $1,000 gift card to cover expenses for travel so that they can locally in Montana and stay at a hotel a few nights.
Carla Russell is 51 years old. She and her husband, Kevin, have been married for 25 years, and she is the mother of three wonderful children, boys 23 and 18 years old, and a girl 16 years old. Carla has been diagnosed with stage 4 invasive lobular breast cancer. It has spread to her liver, and to her lungs. It is incurable. The goals of her treatment are to hold it back as long as possible, and to give her a good quality of life during this time. They have health insurance, but we hit the catastrophic limit for co-pays last year and expect to hit it again every year from now on with the high cost of some of the medicines, and treatments.
Carla and Kevin have been trying to complete her bucket list of taking the kids to all the lower 48 states in their camper. The only states left are Washington, Oregon and Idaho. The family likes national parks, historic sites, and cheesy tourist traps.
We have a trip scheduled for July to start in northern California so that Carla can touch base with some high school classmates. Then they will travel to Oregon, Washington and then Idaho. Their problem is the price of gas, and how it is increasing significantly. Kevin has calculated the trip thoroughly and estimates that each 50 cent increase in the price of gas pushes this trip up by $500. The trip cost has gone up by a couple of thousand dollars and has reached the point where they cannot afford to go. This will likely be the last time they can travel like this as a family because of the kids’ work and university schedules.
Stella’s Wish is providing Carla’s family with enough gift cards for gas to cover what is over their budget.
Ruth is currently on her third line of chemo treatment for stage 4 cancer and has been out of work. The family is under the burden of medical bills but Ruth hopes to have a vacation with her family and loves the beach. She would like to give her husband a break and my children a break as their lives have been revolving around my treatments and be able to have some good memories.
Stella’s Wish Foundation has arranged for them to stay 3 nights in Laguna Beach, California.
Johnna’s wish has been granted to take a trip to Oregon from Nebraska with her kids – she wants to “show them that the world is a beautiful place”.
Susan’s doctor says that she has exceeded the life expectation of her stage IV terminal cancer. She has had several surgeries as well as rounds of both chemo and radiation, but the cancer is aggressive. After a recent hospitalization, Susan decided that I want to do one last thing. She would like to go to the Disney parks a few hours from where she lives and marvel at the sights, sounds, smells, and feel of them. She wants to be where people don’t look at her with pity or sorrow, and don’t treat her with kid gloves. She wants to smile and forget how fleeting life is for a few days. She would need to rent a motorized wheelchair, because she no longer has the physical strength to walk around the parks.
Stella’s Wish is sending Susan a gift card for park passes and for 3 nights at a Walt Disney World hotel.
Juan has stage IV cancer and his daughter requested a recliner for him to help make him more comfortable. Granted!
James’ wife submitted a wish for him. She says he always wanted to drive a funny car. James has been suffering from oropharyngeal carcinoma and with his short life expectancy, she won’t be able to get it done for him. Stella’s Wish has arranged for James to go to Frank Hawley Drag Racing School.
