San Rafael Mother’s Fight Against Cancer Intensifies

Friends and community members have continued to rally around a San Rafael mother whose fight against an aggressive form of Lymphoma has intensified. 

Liana Day-Williams said her cancer has continued to progress despite increasing chemotherapy doses.

“My pet scan on March 19th showed the cancer has continued to progress. This was after being given two more intensive chemo treatments. The more intensive treatments left me with more fatigue and it took longer to bounce back and regain my energy. But they were doable. Getting the news on the 20th that the new treatments hadn't worked was a bit demoralizing,” she wrote in a recent e-mail to Patch.

“Having a cancer that continued to progress after two different chemos is very scary. If the cancer does not respond to this third regimen, we may have to investigate alternative treatments,” she said. 

Doctors have recommend Day-Williams gets a bone marrow transplant and a search is underway for match.

A friend of her family, Novato resident Mary Stompe, has organized a bone marrow drive for Day-Williams on May 25 in Petaluma. See below for details about the drive.

Unfortunately for Day-Williams, she can only pursue a bone marrow transplant if her chance begins to respond to the chemotherapy.

Day-Williams has been trying her best to keep up with her children’s day-to-day activities, despite her treatments.

She couldn’t spend much time with her family during spring break and missed her daughters 8th birthday party celebration, held at the Marin County Civic Center Lagoon Park, but her family came to visit her before and after the party. “It was hard having to miss it, but I was happy that I had been able to plan the special day for her,” she said. 

It can take three to four months to find a bone marrow match, Day-Williams said, but she isn’t fazed by the latest challenges.  

“I am determined to beat this no matter what, and will leave no stone unturned in finding a cure,” she said. “I am praying that this new treatment works, and that I will be on the road to recovery, but if not I will investigate every option that's out there.”

Stompe as also set up an online fund to raise money for the Santa Venetia family, who have already spent most of their savings on their rising healthcare costs. At the start of this week, the fundraiser was 75 percent to its $50,000 goal. 

The Bone Marrow Drive is set for May 25 in Petaluma at PEP Housing, 951 Petaluma Blvd South, from 1 to 5 p.m. To become a donor, you must be between the ages of 18-44 and will have your cheek swabbed (no blood work for initial registry).  Once you do that you become part of the National Registry.