THSCC Forums

Dear SCCA friends,

This is a very sad and poignant message from one of our SCCA family asking for your help. The upshot is, Jeff Joyce is only 33, his wife of two years is dying from brain tumors, and they have an eight-year-old son, and very modest life insurance for her.

NCR is planning fund-raisers. There will be a note in SportsCar, but not till May... This is being sent out now because they need funds, they need legal and financial advice, etc. Please think and act and forward this as you can. Please post on forums, etc. If someone knows of a foundation that can help, or if you can assist them, please contact Jeff directly. (Phone #s at end of his message.) Jeff's e-mail is jnjoyce@triad.rr.com . The SCCA family is the greatest.


Thank you,


Susan Young (your humble columnist)



Donations can be sent to:
"The Joyce Fund" @ Leaksville Moravian Church,
712 McConnell Ave., Eden, NC 27288,
church phone# 336-623-9440.

"My name is Jeff Joyce. I have been a SCCA member with the NCR region since 1998. I started off like many members with local autocross, then Solo and track events and for the past three years I have been road racing in the SEDIV ECR series. I'm proud to be a member of SCCA, as anyone can see by looking at my vehicles.

I am writing you today asking for help or assistance with a serious disease.

My wife, Katie, is facing terminal cancer with not much time left. We have had one doctor say 8-10 months and one doctor to not give us a definite number. Regardless, she can not be cured.

Katie and I were married in April 2006. As soon as we returned from the honeymoon, I started the process to adopt our 8 year old son, Jacob. I started a new life with a son and wife at the same time. On our one year anniversary we purchased and moved into our first home. Nearly 6 months later, Katie had surgery and was diagnosed with a cancer type known as sarcoma. Sarcomas can start anywhere in the body and spread rapidly to other locations. Radiation treatments were immediately begun. Once the cancer had been discovered, it was too late to get a separate life insurance plan. Katie's life insurance is though her employer and is quite modest, with $15,000 coverage.

Our second wedding anniversary was spent in the hospital, going through the first series of chemotherapy treatments. Treatments lasted 5 days at a time, in the hospital, for a duration of 4 months. Two months from completion of the first series of chemo, another cancerous mass appeared. A second series of chemotherapy treatments began July 2008 through October. This past November, Katie underwent surgery to remove yet another cancerous tumor. Though the surgery was successful in removal of the mass, other cancerous masses were discovered. Katie was again admitted to the hospital on December 3, with the detection of brain tumors. Ten brain tumors in total. We are at a loss.

Family and friends have been supportive emotionally, but the financial toll has been difficult. Katie has been working off and on during this past year, and is currently unable to work. My employer has been very understanding and I am extremely thankful. The Family Leave Medical Act (FLMA) has enabled me to be with Katie for her treatments and staying in the hospital, however, it does not help with the day-to-day finances.

I know Katie is concerned what will happen to me and our son in the future, and I know how much our home truly means to her. I would like to tell her that we will be fine and be able to stay in our home that she has put so much work into making it a part of her and our family, but I am fearful this may not be the case. I know the economy has taken a serious turn over the past few months and while we hope and pray Katie will make a recovery, we are afraid the economy may have a more negative impact on us in the months ahead. My biggest financial concern is losing our home and raising our child on my own. It is difficult to write this and it humbles me, but I am asking for assistance in any manner. Katie is 33 years young, as am I- never in our wildest dreams could we have imagined this as our reality.

Is there any way this letter can be put into Sports Car magazine or any other means for SCCA members to read? I would like to think, that with the number of fellow racers SCCA has, anything is possible.

Thank you for taking the time to read this note. Please keep us in your
thoughts and prayers."


*** UPDATE 2/10/09 *** from Jeff
Last week the doctors at our hospital told Katie and myself, there is nothing more they can do for her, to stop the cancer. This is the third hospital we have been to. So right now we are in Mexico at an alternative care hospital, in Tijuana. This place may be our last hope. The treatments are costing $16,000, of money we don't have. The treatments last for 2 weeks, time we aren't spending with our son, Jacob.


Warmest regards,
Jeff Joyce