Agoura Hills, California. In June of this past year, 30-year old Amanda Rae Snyder was taken to the hospital because she was incoherent and unresponsive.
When she got there, they found her glucose level was 18 (normal blood sugar should be between 90-110). After a CT scan, biopsy, and PET scan, she was diagnosed with stage 4 pancreatic neuroendocrine tumors (PNET), a rare cancer.
The tumors started in her pancreas and progressed to her liver, stomach, and kidneys.
The treatment of PNET depends on how far along the disease is, the size and location of the tumors, and if the patient has any other preexisting serious medical conditions that would lessen her chance of survival.
Surgery is the preferred treatment for patients whose PNET cancer has not spread too far. However, for Amanda, chemotherapy is necessary along with other targeted treatments.
She is currently at an excellent hospital, but the type of cancer is so rare that the facility does not have the physicians or resources to treat her.
She has been there for months, alone due to Covid, scared and overwhelmed.
She has received chemo, radiation, and embolization (laser) treatment on the tumors. Still, she would have a better chance of survival and long-term success with treatment from a facility that specializes in PNET cancer.
GoFundMe; pictured above is Amanda
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Her current medical insurance will not cover the additional care costs at another hospital.
In addition, Amanda hasn’t had an easy time in her life. Her mother died when she was 17. She had to grow up quickly and help care for her sisters, only 13 and 11 at that time. As a result, she had to hold off on attending college.
She has been studying to become a vet tech for the past two years. She was three months shy of graduation when she became hospitalized.
But she remains optimistic. She intends on completing her finals but may have to take the semester over again due to this crazy, unexpected roadblock.
Her cancer is incurable, but she can live a productive life with the proper treatment. She can finish school and help animals live their lives.
Her family has set up a GoFundMe account, hoping to raise enough money to get Amanda into a facility specializing in her rare cancer and provide her with long-term treatment.
If you would like to help Amanda with her treatment you can do that here.
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