ROANOKE COUNTY, Va. – Lauren Hodges turns 30 years old in 2 days.
She has an adorable 7-year-old son, Everett, a soon-to-be-stepdaughter and she’s engaged to her fiancé David.
She has a whole life ahead of her, but she’s been given less than five years to live it.
“Hearing that you are incurable and that there’s really nothing that they can do is heartbreaking,” said Hodges.
In November 2018, she started gaining weight uncontrollably, her voice was hoarse and it hurt to swallow, so she went to the doctor.
“I was then diagnosed with Stage 2 papillary carcinoma,” recalled Hodges.
It’s a type of thyroid cancer that is considered treatable; however, since then, she’s been through three surgeries to remove the tumors, which spread to her lymph nodes and now her lungs.
Unfortunately, treatments didn’t work either.
“So at this point, there’s not really a course of treatment, not much that can help it, other than the medication to keep it stable,” said Hodges.
But Lauren’s not letting cancer slow her down. She still works full-time at the Western Virginia Regional Jail in Roanoke County.
Right before Christmas, her boss, Superintendent Bobby Russell, started a GoFundMe to help her with expenses. It’s already raised more than $6,000.
“The fact that she’s one of the frontline workers in a terrible situation right now with COVID and that she still continues to come into work every single day,” said Russell.
The money will cover medical bills and travel expenses to Duke Cancer Center for scans every three months. It will also give her the flexibility to enjoy quality time with her family.
Hodges said it’s hard knowing she might not be there to watch her kids grow up.
“At first it was scary, now we just kind of push through it a lot,” said Hodges’ 16-year-old stepdaughter Savannah Hash.
All she can do is live a normal life with her family and keep fighting for every day.
“I’m gonna beat this,” said Hodges. “I’m determined.”