SOUTHOLD, N.Y. — A young mother in North Fork is facing a sudden and frightening diagnosis. The community has come together to surround her with their love and support.
A GoFundMe page, “Support for Marta Thomas and Her Family,” was created by Marta's sister, Sandy Martocchia, to help.
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“On March 19, after dealing with a series of sudden health problems, Marta received the shocking and devastating news that she had an inoperable brain tumor. She later learned that this was caused by a rare mutation. I was diagnosed with grade 4 midline thalamic glioblastoma called H3K27,” she wrote.
Martocchia said Marta and her partner Tom Cornell live in Southold with their two daughters Lina, 7, and Vienna, 3.
“She is a loving homemaker who is passionate about her daughters and her community. She is an active member of the Southold Mothers Club where she has many relationships with young mothers in our area. ,” she added.
Marta and her family are facing the unthinkable, her sister said.
“This sudden diagnosis has thrown her family into turmoil. She suffered complications as a result of a biopsy and on March 23, a shunt was inserted in her brain to relieve the pressure and pain it was causing. I had surgery to alleviate the pain.”
Martocchia said her sister's plan is to start radiation therapy and chemotherapy as soon as possible. “Tom is a local oysterman at Cornell Oysters, but due to traveling to and from the hospital and caring for his children, he is unable to work as many hours as usual.''
Martocchia will help Marta's family cover household expenses, pay for transportation to and from hospitals and treatment centers, help the family care for Marta, and cover medical expenses not covered by Marta's plan. To help, she said she organized a GoFundMe with her sisters Erin and Lisl. insurance.
The goal, she says, is to explore local alternative health options such as nutrition, herbal medicine, and mind/body therapy to develop a holistic approach to one's care.
“They say life can change in the blink of an eye, and that's true. Anyone who knows Marta knows how outgoing, funny, and sometimes bossy she is! wants to bring her back to her old self, and so do her children's mother. ”
Ms. Martocchia added: “Please help Marta and our family during this very scary and overwhelming time. Any donation of any size will mean so much to Marta and her family.” added.
Click here to donate to GoFundMe.
