top of page

Tough Update on Jenny

Writer's picture: Jared FickerJared Ficker

Family, Friends, and all the people tracking Jen's battle... Carin helped write a status update and I will share more later. Thanks for all your love and support! -- Jared


Sorry for this late posting, but I am sad to say that Jen is losing her battle with cancer.  She has had a tough fight over the past two weeks and the cancer progressively got worse over the last few days. We will use this blog to update you on the latest information available to us. In many ways, she has been extremely brave and has gallantly fought this cancer, but her status has changed quickly these past few days.


Jen had brain radiation which her oncologist described as the "big gun" to fight leptomeningeal disease (LMD). She went to University of Washington for proton therapy and completed that on June 1. Then she started a trial for LMD at Stanford. She started a tril medication which was a monthly therapy. During her weekly check-in appointments she began to have severe headaches. On her way to the airport back to Santa Barbara, she suffered severe headaches. Her body reacted negatively and it caused a series of seizures forcing her to return to Stanford. She continued requiring more and more pain medications to keep her comfortable. As her body became weaker, it became clear to the medical teams that it was LMD flaring up again. She overcame it briefly before but this time the LMD is winning, so the medical team decided today that we should turn to comfort care.


Over the past few days, Jen has minimal episodes of alertness so it provides only very short windows for her family to share the magic moments of love with her. Marina and Clifford flew back from Europe last Thursday and all the kids had a beautiful time with Jen last Friday. Meanwhile, they are finding moments to be with her while singing and playing guitars. You can see her face light up, but it's still a fight to be engaged and alert.


Jen never thought she would be in a hospital during her final moments/days but due to this severe pain she is requiring many medications to keep her comfortable. Therefore, she is not able to travel back to Santa Barbara or even to a hospice facility. Our family plans to stay in Palo Alto until she passes.


We know everyone would love to be here with Jen and family during these extremely difficult times. You can show your love for her in two ways while we update you during this unknown journey. First, share stories on this site or email to jenny@vivalajenny.com and we will read them to Jenny. Second, we hope this blog will provide you with the information needed to reduce the growing texts, calls and emails. At this particular juncture, visiting Jen has to be very limited and only family until Friday. We are still learning hospital guidelines as well so we will keep you all informed.


Keep Jen in your thoughts and prayers as she has always offered her glowing love to all of us.


1,835 views15 comments

Recent Posts

See All

15 Comments


heatherareed23
Jul 30, 2024

We will all miss you so deeply Jen. You are all heart,sunshine and joy in human form and now in spiritual form that we will carry with us forever. You have made an impact on everyone that has had the beautiful benefit and true joy of meeting you. Thank you from the bottom of our hearts for sharing your spirit with us and the special connection we developed these last several years together. You served as such an inspiration for me as we navigated our health challenges together and brought endless light. No surprise, considering who you are and how deep your soul runs. I will hold you near my heart always.❤️ Heather and our 6-pack








Like

Brad Buchanan
Brad Buchanan
Jul 29, 2024

Jen, you were the one person outside my family I confided in when I was diagnosed with cancer in 2015. You were so amazingly positive and inspiring that I felt we were both bound to survive that scary year. I believe that you won your battle against cancer by living as fully and openly as you did, with fierce love for your family and friends. We all have to die sooner or later, and I'm desperately sorry for your kids and for Jared, but you didn't lose any battles. You won something bigger and more beautiful than cancer could ever take away.

Brad Buchanan

Like

Kellie Randle
Jul 27, 2024

Jen - What a gift you are to all of us. I am so grateful I met you on the stage in Sacramento Children's Theater. You lit up the stage just like you light up all of our lives. You touched so many kids lives with your singing and dancing in those crazy costumes. You were the MOST FUN part of all of it and brought us together and brought out the best in me. I had let my creativity and fun factor drop off in all the mom-ing I was doing. I saw you managing to do it all and ALWAYS a smile on your face. So I followed suit. And will never regret it. I remember walking i…

Edited
Like

Sarah Larese
Sarah Larese
Jul 27, 2024

my dear sweet sassy jen -words cannot even describe how much I cherish you and being your friend. I feel so privileged (and lucky) that we met so many years ago at UCSB- how freaking lucky am I! All of us who know and love you know how lucky we are! Whenever you walk in a room, you immediately light it up so magically, so effortlessly, so brightly.. and therefore you light up all our hearts… You are truly the most beautiful person ever. Love you so much… forever ❤️ Sarah-sue

Edited
Like
Sarah Larese
Sarah Larese
Jul 27, 2024
Replying to




Like

Tahoe Jansons
Tahoe Jansons
Jul 26, 2024


Like
Tahoe Jansons
Tahoe Jansons
Jul 26, 2024
Replying to

This captures your spirit Jen, love you girl, rach dawg.

Like
bottom of page