Summer’s Story

Summer is a mother of three children from Asheville, NC. On the same day as she found out she was pregnant with her third child, she also found out she might be dealing with cervical cancer. A few months later, after giving up her diet and lifestyle consultation and event business, Summer was staring down a very grave decision:  She had cervical cancer, and was pregnant and her oncologist wanted her to begin treatment immediately, which would have included aborting her 14 week old baby. This was the best chance for her survival, she was told. This was the best chance to live a long happy life with her two daughters, husband and family. After seeing her tiny baby on an ultrasound, so full of life, moving his little limbs, the decision could not have been clearer:  She may have a better chance of survival if she took the treatment right away, as doctor ordered, but she would not want to live with herself if she took away this little soul’s precious opportunity to have a life.

So, traumatized and overwhelmed, Summer began a search for a treatment for cancer that would be safe for her unborn baby. She did her best to filter through the ten thousand natural “cancer remedies” out there, while studying efficacy and safety during pregnancy.  In a lot of ways she was in the dark. There are just not that many studies done on cancer treatment during pregnancy, nor is there much research on many herbal and even vitamin protocols. To add stress and difficulty, Summer had no funds to afford natural treatments. Saving Grace was at hand though; Summer’s Mom offered to use her salary and retirement fund to help save Summer’s life. With help of friends and experts, Summer divined several practitioners that she trusted to give her a place to begin. Using their collective protocols she began a rigorous daily treatment program that included supplements, enzyme therapy, naturopathic treatments, emotional processing and exercise.

Unfortunately these treatments failed to heal the cancer in the time leading to the baby’s birth. They had failed to heal it, and the cancer had in fact spread and was now at stage two. Darshan Makani Kolesar was born in the middle of all this, by cesarean, on Oct 2 2009. Immediately following the birth of her son, Summer went ahead with the radical hysterectomy the oncologists prescribed. The post-surgery report from the pathology department of the hospital cast a gloom over Summer’s next challenging yet beautiful days, as it showed the cancer had spread into the surrounding circulatory system and the lymph. Now the oncologists told her she needed radiation and chemotherapy. Now this was her only chance to survive, they believed. Having seen friends go through these conventional treatments, and ultimately die from them, and being a naturopath who believes in the power of nature to heal as a central tenet of her life, she declined radiation and chemotherapy, opting to believe she would yet find a treatment that would be safe, natural and heal her cancer.

Unfortunately the next year would prove anything but healing. Her husband, the sole breadwinner of the family at this point, lost his job during the recession and was unemployed for a year. When he finally did find a job, it was in Florida. This meant he moved to Florida to begin his job and Summer stayed in Asheville with the new baby and two daughters, taking care of everything and attempting to sell their house in the worst housing market in recent history. The house was on the market for 9 months with 2-5 house showings every week. Summer literally exhausted herself keeping everything together and the house immaculate. She earned another “supermom badge” perhaps, but she also earned herself Stage four metastatic cervical cancer on her “high-stress-cancer-cure-protocol”. The Chinese medicine and therapeutic enzyme treatment Summer was taking had no chance to cure her in a life so replete with stress and over-doing. According to a later visit with her oncologist however, it was stated that the treatments definitely helped prolong her health and life as she has already lived well past the doctors’ prognosis.

In October of 2010 Summer contracted pneumonia which nearly killed her after two months. This also launched a search for the status of the cancer in her body, and the metastases were discovered through various tests and scans. Through a miracle, Summer recovered from pneumonia but was left very weak and depleted. She was driven, with renewed effort and the support of her Clinical Nutritionist friend, Toni Toney, to finally answer the question of a program that would address and cure her. A plan was forged and put in motion. It began with a full metabolic profiling blood test. This test would prove invaluable for numerous reasons. First it showed exactly where Summer’s excess and deficiencies are in her body. This way all supplements have been tailor-made to fit Summer’s exact needs. Second it showed tumor markers so there is now a way to monitor the treatments to be sure they are working. An unexpected piece of information came through the test as well:  Summer was in acute renal failure.

This precipitated a visit to the ER for a procedure where tubes were inserted through the back into the kidneys, draining into bags worn about the waist. This treatment saved Summer’s life yet again, as the kidney failure was due to cancer blocking her ureters and causing pressure. With the pressure alleviated the kidneys were able to resume normal activity, and Summer’s body was again stable. The oncologists say she has about 3-4 months to live.

At this point Summer has one last chance to turn this disease around. She has found several new treatments that research shows will cure her, but with her mother’s funds running out and the treatments’ high price tag, it remains out of reach unless we get help. We are asking for all the people who love Summer or feel compassion for her story to donate to the Summer’s Healing Community Fund. Our goal is to raise at least $10,000 for Summer’s ongoing treatments, as well as to alleviate some of the burden of the family’s day to day needs. Since we have reached out to the community in general we are continually amazed at the support we receive. Every day Summer’s life is filled with blessings. It is the gratitude for these blessings, and the faith in Summer’s heart that she is being healed that keep her optimistic, serene and enjoying the precious days of her life.