SOUTHOLD, NY — A young North Fork mother is facing a sudden and scary diagnosis — and the community has come together to wrap her in love and support.
A GoFundMe page, “Help Support Marta Thomas And Her Family,” was set up by Marta's sister, Sandy Martocchia, to help.
“On March 19, after experiencing a series of sudden health problems, Marta received the shocking and devastating news that she had an inoperable brain tumor. It was later diagnosed as grade 4, midline, thalamus glioblastoma with a rare mutation called H3K27,” he wrote.
Marta and her partner, Tom Cornell, live in Southold with their two young daughters, Lina, 7, and Vienna, 3, Martocchia said.
“She is a loving stay-at-home mom who is passionate about her girls and her community. She is an active member of the Southold Mothers' Club, where she has forged many relationships with the young moms in our community.” she added.
Marta and her family are facing the unthinkable, her sister said.
“This sudden diagnosis has thrown her family into a tailspin. She was experiencing complications from the biopsy and underwent surgery on March 23 to have a drain inserted into her brain to relieve the pressure and pain it was causing.”
Her sister's plan is to start radiation and chemotherapy as soon as possible, Martocchia said. “Tom is a local oyster farmer — Cornell Oysters — and is unable to work the long hours he's used to because of the many trips to and from the hospital and taking care of his children.”
Martocchia said she and her sisters Erin and Lisl set up the GoFundMe to help Marta's family cover household expenses, pay for travel to and from the hospital and treatment centers, for family members to help with her care and to cover medical expenses not covered by INSURANCE.
The goal, she said, is to create a holistic approach to her care, exploring local alternative health options such as nutrition, herbal medicine, mind/body therapies.
“When people say life can change in the blink of an eye, it's true. If you know Marta, you know how outgoing, funny and sometimes bossy she can be! We want to get her back to her old self, and her kids can to have their mother alive again.”
Martocchia added: “Please help Marta and our family through this extremely scary and overwhelming time. A donation of any size will mean so much to Marta and her family.”
To donate to GoFundMe, click here.
