Fort Worth family goes entrepreneurial in cancer fight

by Gloria Pickett

FORT WORTH — Mary Weeks-Ayala, 44, dismissed occasional abdominal pain as indigestion until she woke up after emergency surgery to learn she had Stage IV colon cancer.

Grasping for hope, Mary called Eddie Abdalla, M.D., a hepatobiliary surgeon and assistant professor in the Department of Surgical Oncology at The University of Texas M. D. Anderson Cancer Center. Abdalla is one of a group of physicians who develops treatments for liver metastases from colorectal cancer.

“The first CT scan 18 months ago showed my liver like a gumball machine full of cancerous tumors,” she recalls. “To be eligible for surgery, a patient must have enough healthy liver left to regenerate after the diseased portions of the organ are removed. I didn’t fit the profile.”

According to Dr. Abdalla, recent medical advances have shattered previous notions of what is “unresectable” and the idea that stage IV colon cancer is always incurable. “Tumor burden used to define resectability. Now, we are looking at ways to reduce the number of tumors while also maximizing the amount of liver that will remain after treatment,” he said.

Dr. Abdalla collaborated with Dr. Henry Xiong – a former research colleague who is Mary’s local oncologist – to create a multi-disciplinary treatment plan that has worked, so far. Mary now has only three remaining tumors, and enough healthy tissue to re-grow after they are removed.

“The rigors of last 12 months, although physically grueling and financially draining, have saved my life,” admits Weeks-Ayala, “but we’re far from the finish line.”

A lengthy recovery after the initial surgery, followed by side effects from continuing treatment, forced Mary to give up her job as an accounting professional. Her husband, Abraham, was recently laid off from his forest products-related job. Their only remaining medical insurance is a policy administered by COBRA – nearly three times more expensive than when Mary was employed.

“The only way we have made it this far is with help from my family,” she says. “Now, their financial resources are also exhausted. Without financial help from somewhere else, my treatment has to stop, and I will die. We’re just not ready to give up. I’m already a walking miracle. Why stop now?”

To help offset the loss of income from his job, Abraham has set up an Internet-based business to earn money to help pay for his wife’s surgery.

“Think of everybody you know who will buy at least one birthday or anniversary present during 2008, or any employer who will use gift incentives this year,” he explains. “If we can get just 4,500 people to purchase a $25 gift album from our Ribbons for Mary online store during January, we will have earned enough profit to save Mary’s life. “

The web site to purchase gift albums is http://aayala10.ordermygift.com. Each album comes with a 180-day money-back guarantee.

“The gift albums are available in other denominations all the way up to $750, which changes the math a little, but the goal is still the same,” Ayala adds. “It’s a win-win situation. The purchaser gets a quality gift, and we earn the money for the operations Mary desperately needs. The key is to spread the word fast to give lots of people the opportunity to help right away.”

Mary’s friends say she is the type person people want to help.

“She’s a giver,” says Rebecca McCormick, a travel journalist and professional cellist from Hot Springs, Ark. “Years ago, Mary and I shared a conference hotel room in Houston. While there, a housekeeper severely damaged my cello when she accidentally dropped a heavy iron onto the instrument’s soft-sided case. Mary bought me a first-class hard case to prevent that from happening again. Every time I open the case, I remember Mary’s generosity. She’s been an instrument of goodwill to lots of other folks, too.”

Mary’s first surgery at M.D. Anderson Cancer Center is tentatively scheduled January 28. Contributions to the Mary L. Weeks-Ayala Medical Donations account may be made in person at any Frost Bank location in Texas or by mailing to Frost Bank; 5561 Bryant Irvin Road; Fort Worth, TX 76132.

Details about “Ribbons for Mary” and information how to make secure online donations through PayPal are available online at the family's blog or by calling the Ayalas at 817-805-1457.

This story was submitted by a member of the Pegasus News community.