“Ruby”

The Leigh Sakoda Foundation honored the life of Harry Weller, one of the foundation’s significant donors, who recently passed away at age 46. Harry was inspired by Leigh’s courage and compassion for others, and had a personal interest in helping young women fight rare and aggressive cancer. On this day we made a very important grant to a 28 year old woman in Arkansas who was diagnosed with Glioblastoma, a very rare and aggressive brain cancer. She has also struggled with a learning disability due to a genetic disorder, and her family has had to pay for her long-term care and treatment with very little financial means. Despite her challenges, she is seen as a source of light and energy for everyone involved in her complex treatment, including multiple surgeries and radiation. Her mother is her full time caregiver and has not been able to keep her job due to her own health complications. They both live on fixed income from social security disability, and this grant will enable them to pay off medical debt as well as ensure safe transportation to and from treatment centers.