Go Fund Me for GBM Survivor Alaina (Haggerty) Wetzel

Shelby Kennedy,  our founder who envisioned and created the blueprint for the GlioLeo Foundation,  always wanted to help others and their families with Glioblastoma (GBM), and to help raise awareness for this terrible disease.  Shelby passed after a long battle with Glioblastoma,  but would have been proud to see her vision for her foundation grow into a reality.    

Along the way,  Shelby met many others with this diagnosis,  and shared her knowledge and experiences,  while always instilling in them the power of Faith, Hope and Love.

One of the people Shelby met, who was also diagnosed with Glioblastoma (GBM), was a young woman named Alaina (Haggerty) Wetzel.  Alaina’s 2nd cousin,  Jackie was good friends with Shelby,  having met her a few years back at FIT SUNY in NYC.   Jackie knew that Shelby was battling Glio,  and suggested to Alaina that she reach out to her.

The two connected shortly after Alaina’s official diagnosis in July 2020.  And they continued a friendship and a support system for each other until Shelby’s passing in June 2022.  They talked often,  and shared much.  So it could not be more appropriate for the GlioLeo Foundation to select Alaina for our Go Fund Me, in raising money for her to go to Germany for Dendritic Cell Therapy (an innovative treatment that boosts the immune system to recognize and destroy cancer cells. This therapy targets cancer cells and is made from the patient's own blood cells.)

Our hope is that it will help her to continue on a healing path with this disease. 

Recently, we had the pleasure of talking with Alaina and interviewing her for this article. She reminded us so much of Shelby,  with her ‘Leo’ strength and courage,  and her positivity and openness in finding new treatments for this disease.

Alaina has had quite the journey in her current 3.5 year mark with Glio.   It all started for her in February 2020,  when her good friend,  a Nurse Practitioner came to visit her.  She noticed that Alaina had a slight droop in her lip,  and asked her to get it checked out.   Originally, it was suspected she may have Bell’s Palsy.   But when that test and others were negative,  her doctors weren’t sure what was going on.  She was prescribed steroids,  which did not help her condition.  Finally in July 2020, a craniotomy was performed in order to biopsy the brain tissue.  Much to Alaina’s dismay and surprise, the test revealed that she had Glioblastoma Multiforme (GBM) brain tumor. 

At age 32,  her life was turned upside down.   Alaina had a great life,  living on the Upper East side in NYC.  With a college degree in Civil Engineering,  she was working for a Construction Management firm as a Manager within the  Risk and Operations group. 

She was enjoying life with her close friends, her fiancé Christopher, and an amazing loving family.  

Alaina started with the standard treatments of chemotherapy and radiation.  Neither did much to shrink her tumor.   The day before she started radiation in mid July,  Alaina had her first seizure,  and would have a few more before she started taking a higher dose of Keppra, an anti-seizure medication.  However in September of 2020,  she had a full seizure, which caused stroke-like effects.  

Over time,  Alaina’s right side has been weakened.  She uses a cane to walk around her house. But for longer walking distances,  Alaina uses her wheelchair.  She also can’t use her right arm or hand.  

Working with her doctors at New York-Presbyterian/Columbia Hospital,  Alaina switched to Immunotherapy (Avastin) and then also took Lomustine to treat the tumor.  The new treatments had a positive effect,  and her tumor has been stable since March 2022.  Since that time, Alaina has stopped all treatments, in order to give her body a break, and a chance for her to reset on all levels.  

Despite her diagnosis, Alaina continues to live life to the fullest each day.  She was married to her beloved husband Christopher, on June 29, 2021, almost a year after she started treatment.   She went to Helen Hayes Hospital for Rehab for 10 days, prior to her wedding day,  so that she could walk down the aisle with her father, and enjoy her memorable day.  

She continues to work from home, part time, with the Construction Management firm in NYC.  She’s learning to use her left hand more to help in day to day activities,  and computer technology has allowed her to continue to communicate without typing.  An avid reader, she engages in a Book Club started by her friends and sisters, shortly after her diagnosis.  

Alaina stressed how grateful she is for her ‘support system’,  which includes her loving husband, Christopher,  her parents, her sisters, close friends and family.  And of course,  her three year old Cavapoo,  Remy.  

Alaina is truly a symbol of the Glio Leo,  a courageous warrior,  with a fighting spirit ! 

Please support her and her family by donating to her Go Fund Me, to help send Alaina to Germany for treatment! 

Glio Leo will be matching up to $5,000 to Alaina’s GoFundMe.