me and my mom Wendy

Tuesday, November 23, 2010


This past Halloween I, Marie Moldovan, a resident of the north central community, set up a Halloween display dedicated to my mother, Wendy Moldovan, a Stage 4 Colon cancer patient. Everyone was welcome to stop by to see the display and meet Bacon “Regina's controversial potbelly pig”. I had set up this display to try and raise funds for my mother to have treatment and surgery at the mayo clinic For the past little while I have been trying to do everything I can think of to help my mom. Everything from writing letters to politicians/health ministers to setting up Halloween displays. I love my mom and want to get her the help she needs. I am currently, bombarding the health ministry and other related organizations with requests for such organizations to aid my mother. I don't want my mom to be one of those people who falls through the cracks of the system.

A few years ago my mother, Wendy Moldovan, started displaying characteristics that were not normal. At first she started displaying symptoms of fatigue and weakness, then she started experiencing abdominal pain. My mother went to several doctors and were told various different things from “you need more fibre in you diet” or “there is nothing wrong”.
One day while at work, at the Prince Albert Hospital, Wendy, felt extremely light headed, she nearly collapsed due to blood loss. Wendy was admitted to the hospital for blood tests, a colonoscapy and a blood transfusion. She was released that evening, with instructions that she would be returning for an ultrasound and cat scan.

In 2008, at the age of only 44, Wendy was told that she has Stage 4 colon cancer. She went through a surgical procedure that removed a portion of her colon and then was placed on chem from 2008 to 2009, by an oncologist in Saskatoon. In the spring of 2009 the Saskatoon oncologist gave my mother an all clear, and told her she wouldn't be needing anymore treatments. The cancer was gone. My parents were so happy that we took a bit of vacation time to visit my sister in Kansas city at Christmas time. Wendy began experiencing abdominal pain. Wendy was upset, she was sure the doctor misread the the results, when she was given the all clear. When they returned from their holiday we went to the General Hospital, at which time a CT Scan and Ultra Sound were preformed. Wendy was told that there was a pelvis mass and tumours on Wendy's liver and lungs.

She has been doing chemotherapy at the Allan Blair cancer clinic, in Regina since the beginning of 2010. After about 6 or 7 months she was required to change the chemotherapy treatments because they were working so well for her. She is now on a more powerful form of chemo that is causing her a bit of trouble, so we asked her oncologist (she now has one in Regina) about the possibility of surgery. Unfortunately for Wendy the oncologist does not believe there would be any benefit in surgery. He has indicated that because the tumours are penetrating the pelvis, in a great portion of the intestine and wrapped around nerves, surgery would not help my mother.

We have done a lot of research on the kinds of surgery available for my mother, we discovered that the Mayo Clinic is able to preform radical surgery, and that they feel that it is very beneficial and will increase a patients chance of survival. As well because my mother has a large tumour that would require the removal of the entire intestine, the Mayo Clinic has the option of Ileoanal Anastomosis Surgery (J-pouch) surgery. This is a procedure developed to help people avoid a permanent stoma (abdominal opening for eliminating waste) after removal of the colon and rectum due to ulcerative colitis or another cause. The main advantage of ileoanal anastomosis is that it allows you to eliminate waste normally.



With a bit of research we found that there are numerous other treatment offered including
Treatment may include:
  • Removal the cancer surgically or another surgical procedure to bypass the colon cancer and hook up healthy colon (an anastomosis). The liver, lungs, and ovaries, where the cancer may have spread.
  • Cryosurgery is a technique for freezing and killing abnormal cells
  • Radio-frequency (RF) Ablation
  • Chemotherapy to relieve symptoms
  • Erbitux, Avastin, or Vectibix in combination with standard chemotherapy
  • Clinical trials of new chemotherapy regimens, or immunological therapy.
  • Radiation to relieve symptoms.
Treatment may involve:
  • Surgery to remove the recurrences. This may lengthen lifespan and in some cases, this is curative when given with chemotherapy. One such surgery is the j-pouch surgery http://www.mayoclinic.org/ileoanal-anastomosis/?mc-emref=y
  • If the metastases can't be removed, chemotherapy is the main treatment.
  • Clinical trials are another option.

Request for Donations
The only problem is that were we live Saskatchewan, Canada some of these types of treatments are not available. So my only choice is to sell every thing of value ( Our Home, motor home, boat etc.) but we are having limited success, the other possibility is to ask for Donations.
My parents, My sister, grand children and I would like to thank you for your kind donations to pay for the need treatments available in the US at the Mayo clinic. We have sent a written request to the clinic for costs and payment options.
In conclusion I would like to thank you for your kind donations to my mother, below are the
links to the website



We will also be having a Steak night at the Last Straw to raise funds for my mother
January 8 2011 Steak Night
Ticket Price $20.00
or phone (306)525-4540

Monday, November 1, 2010

Potbelly Pig "Bacons" walk to raise funds for cancer Patient Wendy Moldovan

Starting Monday November 1st, Marie Moldovan and Regina's Famous potbelly pig "Bacon" will doing a walk to raise funds to send Stage 4 Colon Cancer patient "Wendy Moldovan", to the Mayo Clinic for Surgery and Treatment.

Come meet Bacon and show your support for Wendy Moldovan.  We will be accepting donations.

A Halloween display that was set up in honor of my mother at 1160 GARNET will be left up for those who missed out on the display at Halloween.  Everyone is welcome to check it out.  You are welcome to take pictures with/of the display. 

Enjoy and hope to see you soon

Thursday, October 28, 2010

Fundraising efforts

We are currently doing:
   shovel drive (shovelling snow to raise money);
   bottle drive (collecting bottles to raise money);
   Meet Bacon Regina's Famous Potbelly pig event;
   A steak night January 8th from 4p.m to 11 p.m. at the Last Straw
             tickets can be purchased from Marie for $20.00 call 524-4540;
   and much more.

Wednesday, October 20, 2010

Please Help My Mom

My mom would like the chance to go to the Mayo Clinic. Currently she is undergoing chemo treatment in Regina.  She would like to get surgery, but we are unable to find a surgeon in Canada that will assist my mother.  My mother believes that her last option is to go to the Mayo clinic.  Our family would like to give her this chance.  We believe that she deserves the right to access any treatment that she feels will help her with her cancer fight. 

My family and I are looking for your support through donations to help my mother with the expenses related to getting surgery at the Mayo clinic (i.e travel, cost of stay, cost of surgery, cost of treatment...,).  Every dollar helps, and we thank you for your support. I want to give my mother this chance, and I can't do it without your donation.  Please help my mother.

Your generous donation will go to paying for the cost of travel, cost of stay, cost of surgery and cost of any needed treatment at the mayo clinic.  Any unused funds will be donated to the Allan Blair Cancer Clinic in Regina, Sask, Canada.

Donations can be made by paypal, money order, or certified cheque.  Every dollar counts, we appreciate your help.

Thank you for your generous donation, my mom would not be able to do this without you. 

Mail cheque or money order to:

Wendy Moldovan
P.O Box 303
Lemberg SK S0A 2B0
CANADA

Thank You for you generosity