Meet Jennifer Geselevich

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Today we’d like to introduce you to Jennifer Geselevich.

Jennifer, let’s start with your story. We’d love to hear how you got started and how the journey has been so far.
My son, Toby, was diagnosed with Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia (Cancer of the blood) in 2009 at the young age of two and a half. It was a complete shock and it was terribly hard for my entire family. My very young daughter had a very hard time watching her younger brother fight for his life, all while having to stay at grandparent’s houses because we were constantly in the hospital and it really took a toll on my marriage as well. I knew back then that I wanted to help but I really did not have a clear picture of what I wanted to do. I decided to start school for psychology so that one day I could potentially help families who were going through similar things that mine did and maybe I could help families stay together.

Toby fought a long hard battle for three and a half years. He finished treatment near his sixth birthday. We tried, as a family, to put cancer behind us. Toby’s cancer was supposed to be the “good” kind of cancer and he had a high percentage (like close to 90%) that he would be completely fine for the long hall. We were just getting close to an almost normal state when in November 2016 he sprained his ankle. He was unable to walk and he was having a failure to thrive. We figured it was the sprained ankle and continued to take him back and forth for appointments and X-rays to see what was wrong. In December he had his yearly cancer check which came back clear. It was kind of a relief because we kept wondering if that is what it was. We continued our doctor appointments to try and pinpoint what was going on.

Finally, January came and he was only doing worse. I made another appointment with the idea that we would be asking for another blood test. He woke up the morning of the appointment with a hugely swollen gland and a fat lip out of nowhere. The doctor appeased us by ordering a blood test but assured us it was not cancer and that he likely has a virus and bit his lip. As for his failure to thrive, he felt that it could be psychological and put an order in for group therapy. By the time I arrived home and got my kids settled with a movie he called me with the results (this is never a good thing so quickly) his words brought me to my knees “it looks like his cancer is back”. We then scheduled our bone marrow biopsy for the next day and packed for what would be another long journey. During Toby’s relapse Journey there were a lot of things that opened my eyes. The support for the family as a whole was severely lacking so I decided to see if I could help fill these gaps. With my best friend beside me, we came up with a plan for a foundation.

Our foundation was going to have many different avenues to try to fill untouched areas. We started with a hospital bag program. This hospital bag is geared towards the family as a whole. As a parent of a cancer kid, I can tell you that lugging 15 backpacks across children’s hospital is not fun. I, therefore, found rolling duffel bags that are just big enough to be filled with necessities but not too big because you want to be able to tuck it away in your hospital room. Inside these duffel bags are a small pillow (there are often, not enough pillows for the parents to get one, so these at least create more comfort against the blankets we lay on), a comfort blanket (we have partnered with blankiegram) that is very soft and has words of encouragement and hope all over it, there is a comfort item that is geared towards the fighter, we have sibling shirts so the siblings get something in the bag as well, there is a thermometer that is high grade (fevers are a HUGE deal in the cancer world), there are a bunch of items that can be placed in the bag to remain packed at all times for those late night travels (Nail files, empty shampoo and conditioner bottles to be filled with desired products, phone chargers etc). There are also stress balls and comfort socks or pants added as well as much more.

Our next program is the sibling program, our sibling program focuses on the siblings and lets them feel seen and know they are just as important. We send a quality welcome gift that is on the sibling wish list and we have a support program in place for them to get in touch with us or another sibling for support. We have a birthday program in place as well as an extensive Holiday program as well as a resource program where if we don’t offer it we help find the resource so the family has whatever support and resource they need. We really try to meet the family where they at meeting the needs they have without them having to say a lot or do a lot of leg work. We take late night phone calls and texts, we check in on a frequent basis and we make sure they never feel alone. We have big plans for our future to offer a relapsed wish program as well as offer free counseling services for families who are fighting.

As for Toby, he did continue to relapse and he just had a treatment called Car T and we are hoping and praying this is what saves his life and allows him to have his childhood back. Everything we have gone through with Toby just prepares me and makes it so I am able to understand these families and help on a whole different level. TO get to where we are now was no small task. Its been long and hard work, especially while working full time, going to school and taking care of my family. That said this is my passion and I plan to do this forever! I would like to grow to other states and be there for as many families as possible.

We’re always bombarded by how great it is to pursue your passion, etc – but we’ve spoken with enough people to know that it’s not always easy. Overall, would you say things have been easy for you?
Oh man, smooth road. I am not sure I would know what to do if anything were smooth. That said, anything worth having is hard work and not easy. Family aside and all of those struggles that we went through, foundation struggles were real too. Getting funding is one of the hardest things with running a non-profit. There are many other foundations and so one must be sure they are set aside from the others, which we are. There are no other foundations out there like ours. Getting the word out to make our following larger and create larger support is also another struggle. Helping families is rewarding and tough as well. This is the cancer world, not every fighter makes it and all fighters have a tough road as do the families, not to mention we almost all live with a form of PTSD so helping one another can stem our pain and struggles as well. As for that, it has been more of a comfort for me to be able to help these families than a struggle.

Tell us more about your organization.
We are LL’s Baytoevan’s Love Foundation, we are a 501c3 that brings comfort and support to families fighting childhood cancer. We meet the families where they are and provide what they need. If we are unable to provide it we do our very best to help match them with other resources that will help them. We pride ourselves in helping the families as a whole and not just stopping at the fighters.

Has luck played a meaningful role in your life and business?
Luck is not something we look at here, it is more hope, faith and trust in the doctors helping to take care of our children. Life is hard for everyone. It is not an easy journey and I do not think luck plays a part in that. I think that all obstacles can be overcome with hard work and dedication, especially if you feel you are doing what you were put on this earth to do. Every single thing in my life that has happened has put me in this place where I can help others get through things they are going through. I have a lot of faith, hope, love and dedication.

Contact Info:

• Website: LLBaytoevanlove.net
• Phone: 7203189154
• Email: llbaytoevanlove@gmail.com
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/LLSBAYTOEVANSLOVE/

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