PLATTSBURGH — Until recently, Katherine Sleeper of Mineville spent much of her time helping others.
In addition to being a wife to Dustin Sleeper and mother to 3-year-old Cameron Sleeper, Katherine, who goes by Katy, worked for Essex County’s Mountain Lake Services helping developmentally-disabled adults find employment.
This spring, however, she was forced to put her career on hold after doctors discovered a medulloblastoma in her brain.
Medulloblastomas are cancerous tumors that occur in the cerebellum, the part of the brain that controls fine movement and balance.
“She had two brain surgeries, and they were able to remove some (of the tumor),” said Katherine’s cousin Beth Ayer of Providence, R.I.
But Katherine must still undergo extensive chemotherapy and radiations treatments, which could last into next year.
“She doesn’t know when she’ll be able to go back to work,” Ayer said.
TO EASE THE BURDEN
In the meantime, the family relies on Dustin’s income for financial support and relatives for assistance taking care of Cameron.
To help ease the burden of medical and living expenses while Katherine is out of work, Ayer has a created fundraiser through giveforward.com, which allows people to raise money online for friends and loved ones coping with medical crises.
“I was just looking for a way to get a lot of people to know about it, so I figured it would be a good thing to do online,” Ayer said.
By visiting giveforward.com/katysleeper, individuals can access the fundraiser Ayer created and donate money to assist the Sleeper family.
While giveforward.com retains 7 percent of the money raised on the site, all other money donated to Katherine’s fund will go directly to her and her family.
Email Ashleigh Livingston:
alivingston@pressrepublican.com
