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McCune
HUTTONSVILLE -- For the past 20 years Karen McCune has spent her days helping others in need while working at Tyrand Cooperative Ministries in Mill Creek.
But now the 54-year old McCune finds herself seeking help instead of giving it after being diagnosed with Stage 4, non-alcoholic cirrhosis of the liver.
Since her diagnosis, McCune has been traveling back and forth from her home in Huttonsville to Morgantown and to Cleveland, Ohio, where a procedure will be performed once all of her testing and treatments are complete.
Paying for gas, food and motels while traveling has taken a toll on McCune's finances, not to mention the actual medical expenses themselves.
So Karen's daughter, Shannon, and her best friend, Brenda Martin, came up with an idea to help raise money to aid in her treatment. The two have put together a benefit cakewalk and auction that will take place on Nov. 13 at the Dailey Firehall.
"It's been a struggle and it's been hard for her to actually come out and ask for help," Shannon said of her mother. "She is usually the one helping other people. But this time she needs it and it's been hard for her to accept that."
Shannon said her mother is still working despite everything that is going on with her health.
"She is still working, but she really doesn't need to be working," Shannon said. "But it has given her a little bit of motivation to be able to get up and go, and this way she just isn't sitting at the house. She believes she has a purpose to be at work helping people, so she is going to go as long as she can."
Shannon said she and Karen will find out soon if anyone in the family is a match for a liver transplant. If not they will need to find a donor.
"She is in the process of being tested to see how big a piece of liver she will need," Shannon said. "We will need to get a liver donor if someone in the family is not a match with her. Right now we are just waiting on all of her final tests to come back."