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Santa Clarita Mother Battles Cancer For The Fourth Time (VIDEO)

In 1997, Jennifer Kennedy found out that she had breast cancer. Today, she is battling for her life for the fourth time.


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“At 32 I was scared,” said Kennedy. “I had just gotten married and I didn’t know if I was going to be able to have children.”

And now, with a 17-year-old daughter, Kennedy has looked back at more than two decades of her ongoing battle.

Her initial breast cancer diagnosis was at 32 years old, followed by a recurrence at 50 years old. A year later, Kennedy was told for the third time that she had cancer, but this time, instead of being told that her breast cancer had come back, she was told that she now had non-Hodgkin lymphoma — a cancer that starts in white blood cells.

Kennedy once again beat her diagnosis, and was told after completing her chemotherapy that the non-Hodgkin lymphoma was in remission.

But now, at the age of 53, Kennedy is currently battling a recurrence of her breast cancer, a stage four cancer spreading beyond the breast and to other parts of the body.

“I’m devastated because this time the breast cancer has traveled throughout my body, spine and brain,” said Kennedy.

When stage four cancer spreads, it most commonly goes to the bones, liver and lungs. It may also spread to the brain or other organs, according to the American Cancer Society.

Because of the accelerating cancer, Kennedy has suffered a fractured spine due to a tumor.

Related: Santa Clarita Mother Of Three Shares Breast Cancer Journey

She undergoes physical therapy, has a visiting nurse and needs help doing basic necessities such as showering.

Since her costly medical expenses have piled up, Kennedy has received financial help from Circle of Hope, an organization which supports the cancer community of the Santa Clarita Valley.

However, the financial help hasn’t been enough for her expenses or her daughter’s. Because of her fractured spine, Kennedy is an unemployed single mom.

“The financial stress of cancer is almost as bad as the disease,” said Kennedy.

Out of compassion, Fred Arnold, a Santa Clarita resident, reached out to Kennedy in hopes of hosting a fundraiser for her needs, which is now set to take place in his own home.

“I read her story on Facebook and I know she’s been involved in the community, so I wanted to make a difference in someone’s life,” said Arnold.

The fundraising event is set to be held on Aug. 18 from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. at 23927 Lakeside Road in Valencia.

Guests can enjoy wine tasting, appetizers, desserts and entertainment around the Bridgeport community lake.

“Come and enjoy an evening with like-minded people that want to make a difference in the world,” said Arnold.

The event is $50 per person and can be paid through the GoFundMe website.

For those who cannot attend, all donations are welcomed through the fundraising website.

“We’re so very fortunate to live in a community that cares, and when someone has a health issue like cancer, we should make a difference,” said Arnold.

All funds will go towards Kennedy’s living expenses and additional medical fees.

“I’m so gracious and in awe of the support and dedication to me and my cause,” said Kennedy. “Anybody that’s sending me cards, bringing me meals, donating to my GoFundMe and giving me support, I’m very thankful for.”

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Santa Clarita Mother Battles Cancer For The Fourth Time (VIDEO)

2 comments

  1. Jennifer Kennedy was in a key role at Single Mother’s Outreach when I first separated from an abusive marriage. She was there for me to assist me in finding resources for family law attorneys and resume building, computer skills and job hunting. When I had nothing yo give my children for Christmas, she made sure I was a part of their Santa’s Helpers program to have gifts under the tree. I can not express how much this woman has given to the community and to me and my children directly. Please support her fight! #savingjenniferkennedy

    I will donate 20% of all purchases on my ecommerce giftshop to help offset Jennifer Kennedy’s expenss.
    http://www.nightingalehorses.com

  2. Apologies for any typos above! I will be creating a code for my website to document any sales purchased in Jennifer’s name.
    ***Please use the code: #savingjenniferkennedy upon checkout. If the code is not yet available, please email me from the website or mention the hash tag in the notes so I can apply the 20% accordingly.
    The shop site: http://www.nightingalehorses.com
    20% of all proceeds to go to Jennifer Kennedy’s recovery and expenses!!!
    #savingjenniferkennedy

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About Lorena Mejia

Lorena was born and raised in the San Fernando Valley. She attended California State University Northridge where she double majored in Journalism and Chicano Studies and minored in Spanish Language Journalism. While at CSUN, she worked for the university's television and radio newscast. Through her journalistic work, she earned membership to Kappa Tau Alpha, a national honor society for selected journalists. Her passion for the community has introduced her to new people, ideas, and issues that have helped shape the person she is today. Lorena’s skills include using cameras as a tool to empower people by informing them and creating change in their communities. Some of her hobbies include reading the news, exploring the outdoors, and being an avid animal lover. To contact Lorena, send your messages to lorena@hometownstation.com.