Let's Support the Clifton Family
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Happy Summer, Cavs!
Here is a health update from our beloved Nicole Clifton:
Hi friends,
The last 3 months have been a whirlwind! The mix of doctor’s appointments and graduation events was a lot but we made it through with so many sweet memories. I wanted to give a quick update to our beloved community who has supported us in so many ways since finding out about my cancer reoccurrence in March.
We decided early on that we would be looking at both integrative and standard medical interventions to make sure that we have all the tools to fight this cancer. We did find out from my PET scan that the tumor around my hip is the only evidence of disease and we are SO thankful! I spent a week at an integrative clinic in April and found out that my body was completely out of balance and unable to effectively fight the cancer. So I’ve been working hard to get things back in balance over the last three months. In addition, my medical oncologist started me on a targeted cancer drug and hormone suppression since my cancer is estrogen driven. So far the side effects have been minimal and manageable.
If you saw me the night of graduation, you know that my pain level hit a peak around that time. I had severe weakness in my right leg and could only walk side to side. I had gotten to a point where I would consider whether walking across the room was worth the pain. Praise the Lord, something has shifted in the last two weeks and I’ve regained some strength in my leg and my pain is lower than it has been in months! I’m not sure which treatment is working but I plan to continue all of them to keep getting better! I have plans to return to the integrative clinic in July to rerun some tests and see if there is improvement in the areas I’ve been working on.
The last treatment piece is radiation or proton therapy. I am a candidate for proton therapy but we are having to haggle with insurance to cover it. Initially, with my level of pain and the size of my tumor, it was much more pressing to get me in faster and just do radiation but now that I am not in as much pain we feel like waiting to see if we can get insurance to cover proton therapy is worth it. Proton therapy has the same effectiveness but less damage to surrounding tissue. We would love prayers for direction on this treatment option.
This is an unexpected road to be walking but we do not feel like we are walking alone. I believe that God has already started healing me and I am committed to doing whatever it takes! Thank you for the part you are playing in my healing!
For His Glory,
Nicole
In addition to the good news about Nicole's recovery, I have more good news to share. Nicole has registered with a non-profit that accepts donations on her behalf and contributes to both the traditional and integrative medical bills she submits. Click "Donate Anonymously" to make a tax deductible gift toward Nicole's medical bills.
Questions? Call Sunny Espanet at 817-683-1507 or email [email protected]
Here is the original post:
Meet Bill!
Bill Clifton is the CCS Director of Facilities which basically means he is the "fixer" of the whole campus. During my 3 years on faculty, I noticed that the response "call Bill" was the most likely answer for the majority of the questions I asked.
Bill's team regularly restores order and beauty to our campus which allows our entire community to not only function but also to flourish. Remarkably, he meets every need with a patient and kind composure, even when the chaos he has to tame resulted from foolishness. He is really funny, too!
Bill's family recently has experienced significant, unexpected medical bills. I share their story below, with permission. I invite you to join me by praying for Nicole's full restoration of health, and also ask you to consider a financial gift to our hard-working, beloved Mr. Clifton.
Meet Nicole!
Nicole and Bill Clifton have been married for 25 years and have 4 extraordinary children: Emma (20), Logan (18), Sadie (16) and Liam (14). Nicole is an amazing wife, mom, daughter, and friend. She loves Jesus and regularly encourages others to seek him through her daily walk and also through organizing summer bible studies for women.
In 2011, Nicole was diagnosed with breast cancer. At the time, her children were ages 7, 5, 3, and 1. Following the recommendation of her team of doctors, she fought back through surgery and chemotherapy, after which her doctors determined that she had no evidence of remaining cancer.
For 12+ years, Nicole has been healthy with no evidence of cancer. About 6 months ago, Nicole began to experience pain in her right hip. Recently, an MRI determined that there was a mass on her pelvis in the area where the pain is located. The MRI also showed a stress fracture in the same area caused by the weakening and decay of the bone in the area surrounding the mass. This fracture is likely the source of the pain Nicole is experiencing and is causing her to walk with a limp. A biopsy of the mass revealed that it is a match to her previous breast cancer diagnosis.
Nicole is determined to beat cancer for a second time. She is reestablishing old relationships with previous providers and adding a new oncologist to her team because her previous oncologist moved away. She is well supported by her sweet family and friends who love her dearly, she has excellent health care insurance, and is confident that the treatments which helped her in the past will work again to beat the cancer.
Alongside her confidence in this treatment plan runs the frustration that the cancer has returned when she thought it had been eliminated. Rather than trusting in the traditional treatments alone, Nicole wants to incorporate a complementary integrative approach in her healing journey by pursuing dietary changes, supplements, and lifestyle choices which have well-documented scientific evidence she hopes will shift her equilibrium toward health and vitality. Through recommendations of trusted warriors in her network and by the Lord’s leading, she has added an additional M.D. to her team of advisors. Unfortunately, this doctor and these complementary treatments are not covered by insurance.
Nicole is confident in the Lord’s provision to boldly pursue this healing journey, and humbly submitted to my request to create this campaign. Through a similar situation, I learned the power of community in situations like these where we can work together to minimize the financial burden so that Nicole & Bill can focus on the more important tasks in her healing journey.
I invite you to join me in prayer for the Clifton family and, if you feel called, through a financial contribution. Our goal is to raise $20,000 which will cover the present costs including the health insurance deductible, the integrative clinic deposit, and travel costs to the clinic.
(you are welcome to share this page by text or email, but please do not post on social media)
Why Venmo / Zelle?
My original plan was to utilize a fundraising platform such as GoFundMe or GiveSendGo for this campaign. Before publishing it, though, I was alerted to new guidelines in 2024 that would have significant tax consequences for Nicole and Bill.
I'm certainly no expert in this field, but my understanding is that fundraising platforms now require the recipient to provide a social security number before funds are distributed. At the end of the year, the fundraising platform will send the recipient a 1099 for the amount raised. Nicole and Bill would have to include this 1099 income on their 2024 taxes and pay income tax on it. It would also affect their financial aid for their college-age children as well as other medical aid.
Another survivor has set up an account for the Cliftons with Helping Hands Ministries which will allow you to make a donation to the ministry and the ministry will send a lump sum to the Cliftons (without the 1099 reporting.) Another benefit of this route is your gift may be tax deductible.
Please contact me with further questions:
Sunny Espanet
817-683-1507