By Elaine Van Develde
Brian Allison is a son beside himself and by the side of his mom.
He is desperately trying to get some help for the woman who raised him in Fair Haven and grew up there and graduated from Rumson-Fair Haven Regional High School herself — Regina Lamberson Allison.
After a long and winding two-year plus medical journey, Regina has been diagnosed with stage four cancer in her pelvic region, Brian said. And she needs some financial help for her care and hopeful cure.
It’s an all too common healthcare problem that Regina is experiencing, Brian said. In financial straits, “she has straight Medicaid but it does not pay for some of the cancer meds or treatments that could help cure this,” he said. “She will be starting radiation next week everyday for the next five weeks.”
And that begins yet another uncertain medical journey.
It all started in January of 2013 when Regina contracted an infection in a surgical wound after surgery for a broken ankle, her son said. “She has been in and out of the hospital with antibiotics (since 2013),” Brian said. “Then in Janury 2014 they had to remove the hardware because it was protruding from her leg.”
Blood clots had formed due to a lack of movement, he said, and after a some bouts with that issue, she ended up with stage one endometrial cancer. After complications from that, Regina ended up having a hysterectomy, the prognosis being a good one. Cancer had been removed and she did not require any follow-up chemotherapy or radiation, according to Brian.
That was in April of 2014.
But, as of March of this year, Regina found herself facing the worst of her medical dilemmas — the stage four cancerous mass was found in her pelvic area.
“I am trying to raise money to get her the best treatment and care possible to get rid of this cancer hopefully this time,” Brian said.
So, he set up a page on GoFundMe to help offset medical costs not covered by Medicaid and fund alternative treatments that Brian says could be explored and possibly help, but for which she does not qualify through Medicaid.
After a period of hospitalization, Brian said that Regina is being discharged Monday and headed back into rehab at Liberty Royal in Tinton Falls.
While they no longer live in Fair Haven, Regina had lived in the borough for 42 years, again, having been brought up there. Brian, also raised in the borough, spent 18 years of his life there.
While the two live in Ocean now and have for the past 12 years, Brian has volunteered at the Fair Haven Firemen’s Fair for 16 years, as Fair Haven holds a special place in his and his mother’s hearts.
Any help with his mom’s plight at this point, said Brian, would be “greatly appreciated.”
You may contribute to the cause by going to the Regina Lamberson Allison GoFundMe page by clicking here.
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