Local Mother Battling Rare Cancer & Insurance to Stay Alive

The hard facts are that every single one of us will love or know someone close to us who will be given the diagnosis of cancer. For some, it may be rare and easily treatable; for others, it may be the start of fighting for their life, and that is exactly what is happening to a young Grand Blanc mother and nurse.

Ashley Shaffer, a hardworking ICU nurse and mother of two, had just learned she was expecting her third child when her world was turned upside down. After working a midnight shift, she noticed her ankles were extremely swollen. Concerned, she visited her OB, only to discover dangerously high blood pressure and low potassium levels.

Further testing revealed a 14 cm mass on her right adrenal gland, and doctors delivered devastating news: she needed immediate surgery. On May 31, 2023, Ashley underwent a nearly 10-hour operation to remove the tumor, which had grown to the size of a football. The diagnosis was Adrenocortical Carcinoma, a rare and aggressive form of cancer that affects just 1 in a million people each year. Ashley was diagnosed with Stage 3, primarily due to the tumor's size.

Sadly, the next day, June 1, 2023, at 8:17 am, Ashley delivered her son. He survived the surgery, but being put on bypass and losing all of the blood was too much for his little body, and baby Noah gained his angel wings.

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"My doctor's office wrote a letter to appeal the insurance company’s decision and I just found out that the appeal was also denied", Ashley told us. "I’m angry because I feel like I am willing and able to do or try anything to fight this cancer, but I am constantly meeting roadblocks along the way. How is there ever supposed to be new research on ACC if they don’t allow patients to try different chemotherapy regimens? How am I supposed to have a fighting chance when I’m constantly met with insurance denials? It honestly feels like a death sentence."

As of now, the bills are piling up, but Ashley and her husband Justin are keeping the faith. Her friends describe her as the strongest person they know, and her family including her daughters Charlotte, 5, Elenor 3, fuel her drive. 

Her next journey will take her to MD Anderson Cancer Center in Houston to see a specialist in search of more answers and treatments in November.

A GoFundMe has been set up, and every dollar will aid Ashley and her family as they look for miracles and hope to help her win this battle. She spent her life saving others, now she needs help to save herself.  You can donate here.