As her family, friends and students rally around her, Kristi Karr-Morgan is looking forward to getting home next month to visit. By then, the teacher at Northern Heights High School will be through one-third of her scheduled chemotherapy treatments and about to begin daily radiation therapy — just part of what she terms a “crazy adventure.”
Karr-Morgan was visiting family in Finland on June 28 when she ended up in the hospital in Vaasa, Finland, for treatment of pneumonia. Doctors found a tumor in her lung that eventually was diagnosed as a small-cell carcinoma.
Because she had to be on oxygen, Karr-Morgan had to take a special medical flight to the United States two days later. At Cornell University Medical Center in New York, doctors diagnosed the cancer. On July 5, according to updates on Karr-Morgan’s Facebook page, doctors told her the cancer is confined to the left lung.
Once the pneumonia cleared up, Karr-Morgan was able to board a commercial flight to Kansas City on July 7. She and her husband, Daryl Morgan, now are staying with a friend in Lawrence while Karr-Morgan takes chemotherapy treatments at the University of Kansas Hospital in Kansas City, Kan.
The treatment cycle runs for three days every three weeks. After the second round of chemotherapy on Friday, Saturday and Sunday, she’ll start radiation treatments five days a week for six weeks.
Karr-Morgan, who celebrated her 50th birthday just days after her first chemo treatment ended, has been heartened by the support she’s received from family and friends.
“Staying strong and hoping to return to Kansas soon,” she wrote July 3 on her Facebook account. “There’s no place like home! I feel blessed to have so much love in my life.”
While Karr-Morgan was fighting her battles with her husband and other family by her side, friends back home began rallying to help raise money to pay expenses not covered by her health insurance back in the United States. Both the hospital stay in Finland and the medical flight back to the United States are not covered. Before reaching the United States, they already had wracked up $20,000 in expenses.
A fund is set up at Lyon County State Bank and three fund-raising events are planned. First is a spaghetti dinner Sunday in Reading.
Held in the Reading Elementary School lunchroom, the dinners featuring all-you-can-eat spaghetti, salad, bread, dessert and drink will be available by donation. The meal will be served from noon to 2 p.m.
At 7 p.m. Aug. 11, a 5K fun run/walk will be at The Orchard at the intersection of K-99 and Allen Road. The Orchard is owned by Karr-Morgan’s parents, Bob and Elaine Karr, and is the home course for the Northern Heights cross-country team, which Karr-Morgan used to coach.
Registration begins at 6 p.m. Awards donated by Laser Expressions will be awarded for the top 5K participants in each age group — fifth grade and younger, sixth through eighth grade, ninth through 10th grade, 11th and 12th, adults 18 to 29, 30 to 39, 40 to 49, 50 to 59 and 60 and older.
Cost to enter the event is $5 for students and $10 for adults. An honor walk is available by donation.
Registration is available on the North Lyon County schools website, www.usd251.org.
The third event is from 5 to 7 p.m. Aug. 14 at the Americus Elementary School lunchroom. Sponsored by the Americus Presbyterian Church and teachers and friends of Karr-Morgan, a lasagna dinner will be served for a suggestion donation of $5. A silent auction also will be held.
To donate items for the silent auction, call Brenda at 342-0406.
Karr-Morgan hopes to be back home by mid-August to be able to visit with friends before starting her radiation treatments in Topeka.
When classes at Northern Heights begin Aug. 27, Karr-Morgan knows she’ll miss them. Right now, she anticipates missing the first 11 weeks, returning Nov. 1, a month after her last chemotherapy treatment.
“They said with shared sick leave and my days, I could probably be covered until March,” she said about how much time she’d take off work, “but I’m anxious to get back to doing something un-cancer related as soon as my health allows.”
slimbolen99 (anonymous) says...
Good luck Coach Karr!
July 27, 2010 at 10:46 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
robertjo27 (anonymous) says...
You should be fined for not having insurance because if you have an emergency and go to the emergency room, then you do not have the money for the bill, it gets charged to everyone else. Get medical insurance for your entire family at the best price from http://bit.ly/chE6zp By contributing to the pool and doing your part, overall costs come down. Its like stores that have to charge more because of all the theft. People go to the hospital and then not pay, it gets charged to everyone else.
July 27, 2010 at 10:55 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
Blue_Dog (anonymous) says...
Hey "Robertjo27" You qualify as A$$ of the day.
Try reading the story before commenting. They have insurance. It does not cover outside US. Yours probably doesn't either. And they are not seeking reduced bills either. These fundraisers are neighbors and friends who want to help in the only way they know how.
July 27, 2010 at 11:49 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
teresa_mahoney7 (anonymous) says...
Hey "Robertjo27", Obviously, you've never had cancer or a catastrophic illness that goes way beyond your insurance coverage! I pray you never have to deal with it, or maybe you should to have more compassion! God have mercy on you for being so insensitive!
July 27, 2010 at 11:59 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
ironmanjdm (anonymous) says...
Its true, even with good insurance...which I have... the bills add up fast. My wife was diagnosed with breast cancer earlier this month. We have just begun the process, and one surgery is finished, with at least one to go. Not to mention the other follow up treatments like chemo and radiation. It is all incredibly expensive. I work for the state, and my wife is a full time student. She is covered by my insurance, and thank god for that. So far we owe more than we can afford, and its just going to get worse. I'm not complaining though, because we have great support from friends and family. I'm just relating, and saying support is needed financially and emotionally, even if you have insurance. Also it really helps someone who is going through something like this to know that others care.
July 27, 2010 at 9:19 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )