Jill Zane, 41, of Wall and son Caden, 4, are battling life-threatening illnesses.
The death of MTV reality star Diem Brown made headlines last week.
She battled ovarian cancer twice, then colon cancer, and lost her battle nine years after the initial diagnosis.
Brown was just 32 years old when she passed.
Stories like these hit close to home. I have a condition called polycystic ovarian syndrome that, when left untreated, can lead to ovarian cancer.
When this disease strikes someone at a young age, it tends to invade the body quite aggressively.
The outcome usually isn’t favorable.
Facing a life-threatening illness at any age is devastating.
Doing so in the prime of your life? Completely unfathomable.
Jill Zane, 41, of Wall is fighting for her life.
The teacher, wife and mother of 4-year-old triplets was recently diagnosed with stage 4 breast cancer. It has spread to her bones and other organs.
Juggling the demands of day-to-day life and parenting three children has taken its toll on her. However, cancer is just a piece of the battle the Zane family has been fighting for years.
Jill became pregnant with her triplets after years of unsuccessful in-vitro fertilization treatments. When she finally had those babies on board, it seemed the dark skies were finally clearing for her and husband Matt.
Little did they know that the “perfect storm,” as she calls it, had yet to begin.
One of Jill’s triplets, Caden, is gravely ill. Born prematurely, he suffered complications, including a brain bleed.
In his short 4 years of life, Caden has been diagnosed with more than 25 chronic conditions, including spastic quadriplegic cerebral paulsy, a seizure disorder, language disorder and hydrocephalus.
Caden has undergone at least 12 surgeries, takes 23 medications, sees 16 specialists and has 11 large scars on his tiny body.
Both mother and son are battling demons.
I was raised in a very close-knit family, and local connections have always been an important part of my life — personally and professionally.
I am calling upon the community to please help this family.
Whether it’s joining Caden’s Facebook page to show support (www.facebook.com/causecadencan) or making a donation to help with medical expenses (www.youcaring.com), these people need all the love we can give them.
A special fundraiser for the Zane family is planned from 12:30 to 5 p.m. Wednesday, Nov. 26, at 507 Main, 507 Main St., Belmar.
I watched the video chronicling Caden’s condition, and let me tell you — it was heartbreaking.
As a mother, it was easy to put myself in Jill’s position.
I watched, helplessly, as this boy struggled while Jill did everything in her power to keep him happy and comfortable, as his siblings ran around enjoying childhood as every youngster should.
Sitting at my desk, I fought back tears and shook my head in disbelief.
I can’t possibly fathom how Jill is fighting cancer while trying to breathe life into her son.
Please send good vibes to this family. They need them now, more than ever.
Shari Puterman is Regional Content Strategist/Features Editor.