Courtesy
The first thing Jocelynn Gill’s family noticed was the normally sweet and reserved 16-year-old who loves to sing and dance began struggling with depression. They weren’t sure if it was normal teenage angst or something more serious.
When she started suffering from debilitating stomachaches and vomiting, they knew something was really wrong.
“After a trip to the emergency room in Carson, an ambulance ride from there to Renown in Reno and a Care Flight from there to the UCSF Benioff Children’s Hospital in San Francisco, they were finally able to figure out what has been making her sick,” said Jocelynn’s aunt Amy Schreck. “Jocelynn has a cancerous tumor on her pituitary gland in her brain. The cancer is called non-germinomatous germ cell tumor.”
The 16-year-old Carson High School sophomore, who is involved in the Naval Junior ROTC, is undergoing chemotherapy.
“Jocelynn started chemo treatments on Halloween and must stay in San Francisco for at least another five to six weeks,” Schreck said. “Once she is able to return home to Carson City, she will be required to go back to San Francisco for at least five days a month for treatment.”
Schreck said the travel back and forth, as well as medication and other medical bills, are taking its toll on the family’s finances.
“The family struggles as is, but with my sister on medical leave from her job to stay with Jocelynn, they are finding it even more difficult to make ends meet,” she said. The only income they have right now is my brother-in-law’s unemployment. Jocelynn’s 12-year-old sister, Allison, has been staying with a family friend so she can continue to attend school.”
Jocelynn’s parents, Amanda and Bradley Gill, are from the area and have lived in Carson City for 14 years.
An account has been set up to help the family collect donations at gofundme.com/4zs4po.
For more information, contact Schreck at funds4jocelynng@aol.com.
