Help Cass fight
Cd’A mom with rare disease is not giving up
COEUR d'ALENE — A Coeur d'Alene mom fighting a rare but serious disease has the opportunity to save her own life while helping others.
Cassondra Alonzo, 33, was diagnosed with neuro-Behçet’s disease one year ago. It's a terminal form of the illness that causes inflammation of blood vessels and ravages the body with painful sores and lesions.
Before the diagnosis, no one knew what was wrong. Her health had been declining for several years.
"It was literally a medical mystery," Alonzo said Tuesday. "Finding out gave me a new lease on life, and a new purpose, and a new thought process on how now I wanted to spend my time, and what now I was to do with my "new" life.
But the neuro diagnosis landed her in a wheelchair with an unknown path ahead.
"I was thrust into now not knowing if I was going to live another day, let alone another six months," she said. "I am now going blind, and am in early heart failure. I live my life in bed. The doctors have kept me on cytotoxic chemo shots among a slew of other medical cocktails to keep me just barely alive, and now I'm coming to the end."
However, Alonzo has found hope. Specialists in Arizona can provide her with life-saving treatments while she participates in trials for a new drug that could become the first one the FDA approves to treat Behçet’s disease.
"It's so hard to know that there is something out there that can potentially save my life, and more importantly give my children their life back by giving them their mother back," she said. "I hope in some small way that I can leave some sort of legacy or mark when it is my time."
The journey is not cheap, and the opportunity is limited. Alonzo, her family and friends are trying to raise the $30,000 she and her husband and four kids will need to purchase a recreational vehicle or fifth-wheel for traveling to and from Arizona for her treatments and cover expenses such as food and gas. The situation has become urgent because she may lose her opportunity to receive this sort of medical help, which is in high demand. She said her insurance won't cover anything that's not FDA-approved, "and there's nothing here for Behçet’s here."
North Idaho Cider, located at 11100 N. Airport Road, and Mad Bomber Brewing Company, 9265 N. Government Way, both in Hayden, will be hosting fundraisers to "Help Cass Fight" from 4-8 p.m. Friday. The fundraisers will include food, drinks, silent auctions and other activities to generate support for Alonzo.
"Without the community I would never have gotten a diagnosis," she said. "I want to say thank you to everybody. You have no idea of the compassion. It reinstills your faith in the world — this place can be really really hard."
Alonzo said she is hoping to raise the funds no later than the second week in November because her doctors have told her if she doesn't start those treatments, they're looking at starting her end-of-life care.
"The doctor said I could die any day," she said. "In the meantime, I will not give up. I refuse to lose my sense of humor, I have amazing things to still do with my life and to give to people."
To get involved and donate, visit www.facebook.com/cassondra.alonzo, http://bit.ly/1RdkRZC, or www.gofundme.com/helpcassfight.