WELLS, Maine — Friends and family are rallying around Marcy Mayo, a Wells resident recently diagnosed with mesothelioma, a cancer that most commonly results from exposure to asbestos. The goal is to help Marcy and her husband, Bruce, cover the expenses involved with her treatment and to compensate for Marcy’s lost income.
“Mom was having trouble breathing,” said Nicole Mayo, Marcy’s daughter. “She was tested in the hospital and they found polyps in her chest. A biopsy was done and it came back as mesothelioma. She’s only 45, which is young for that diagnosis.”
Once diagnosed, the Mayos began traveling to Boston for treatment at Brigham and Women’s Hospital. She was scheduled for surgery on April 21 and expects to be in recovery at Brigham and Women’s for three to three-and-a-half weeks afterward.
“Her doctor has been very supportive and positive,” Nicole Mayo said. “The staff there has been unbelievably supportive and accommodating. The cancer was caught pretty early. It hasn’t spread.”
Marcy Mayo has worked as a chef for 25 years, so it was not immediately clear how or when she was exposed to asbestos. Nicole Mayo noted that her mother’s father had worked in masonry and that her mom had sometimes helped her father mix the concrete.
“She may have gotten contact with asbestos through the concrete,” Nicole Mayo said. “It may have had some asbestos in it.”
While Marcy Mayo has health insurance, other costs related to her treatment have started to mount up. She’s been traveling by car to Boston twice a week, for example. In addition, she’s unable to work, so the couple has less income.
“My parents were good with two incomes,” said Nicole Mayo. “They kind of struggle on one.”
To help with the finances, Nicole Mayo created a page for Marcy Mayo on the website GoFundMe.com, titled Marcy’s Rally Against Mesothelioma. As of April 21, more than $4,600 had been raised.
“I had seen different campaigns on it,” said Nicole Mayo about the website. “I knew if I reached out, people would be unbelievably supportive and they have gone beyond. That makes me feel good. My parents will know that people support them. They can focus on being there for each other rather than having to worry about the money aspect.”
The financial contributions are just one part of the response, Nicole Mayo said.
“People have been coming out left and right,” she said. “Some are arranging to have meals delivered to us so we don’t have to cook when we get home from the hospital. They want to help out in any way. It’s amazing to see that people are there for us.”
One of those people is Erin Pantelis, a 30-year friend of Marcy Mayo’s. She has helped plan fundraisers for the Mayos, the first of which is from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Sunday, May 3, at Stutesy’s Restaurant on Route 1 in Wells. Members of Marcy Mayo’s graduating class from Wells High School and other friends will gather in the parking lot at the restaurant for a sale of baked goods and other items. Pantelis said donations of local gas gift cards are encouraged to help with the family’s commuting costs to Boston.
Pantelis is planning another event on a date to be determined in June at Hook’s Chill and Grille in Ogunquit.
Another fundraiser is planned for May 15, starting at 3 p.m., at Ryan’s Irish Pub in Kennebunk, where Marcy Mayo most recently worked.
“Marcy has been through so much in the last few years, that this diagnosis seems so unfair. But she is my Superwoman, always putting on a smile and thinking of others first even in her times of need,” Pantelis said. “She is a very, very special light. There is an aura about her that everyone is drawn to. She is loved by all.”
Parallel efforts by various Seacoast businesses from Kennebunkport to York will simultaneously be underway to collect and/or to donate a portion of their daily proceeds, sales or tips. Flyers and accompanying donation cans will be displayed for customers at participating shops until May 3. Contributions can also be made directly to Marcy’s GoFundMe.com account.