Tamara Kobylka should be able to spend what time she has left with her girls, said her friend Tina Fournier.
Kobylka, 37, was diagnosed with cervical cancer in September 2013. The cancer has metastasized, spreading to other parts of her body, like her spleen and liver, so surgery won't help. She's been through chemotherapy and radiation treatments and is now on chemotherapy indefinitely to try to slow the progress of the cancer.
Kobylka has two daughters, Phoenix, 15, and Jordan, 13, and up until recently has worked full time to keep food on the table and a roof over their heads, she said.
Kobylka met Fournier about eight months ago while working at a local manufacturing company. When Fournier heard Kobylka's story she knew she had to do something to make her life easier.
"Every day I thought more about it and it was killing me and I couldn't let her go through it by herself," said Fournier. "I straight up asked her if she was working because she wanted to be here or if she was working because she had to be here," said Fournier. "The answer was had to and I thought that's not right."
At that point Fournier started to brainstorm to see what she could do to help her new friend.
Fournier decided to start a Go Fund Me campaign to ask people to help Kobylka, who has Jordan living with her while Phoenix lives with her dad in another province.
"She's the strongest person I've ever met," said Fournier of Kobylka. "She never cries and she's never sad. When she told me about her cancer, I was in tears and she was strong."
Fournier started to think about what amount of money it would take for someone to live modestly for an entire year.
"I thought $20,000 would do it," she said. "That's below the poverty line but manageable and eventually she will have money through government support but that's not going to be enough because she'll have medical bills and other expenses along with supporting her daughters."
Fournier just wants to make life easier for Kobylka.
"She never complains or talks about how sick she feels," said Fournier. "I thought it would be best if she spent what time she has left at home with her family instead of working all the time."
Kobylka is looking to go on long-term disability but there's about a four-month wait to get that established.
Fournier recalls how hard it was to see Kobylka at work some days.
"Tamara would go for her chemotherapy on a Thursday and then on the third or fourth day it really hit her and by Monday or Tuesday she would be so sick, she would look like a ghost when she came into work," said Fournier.
Now Kobylka can relax at home on those days she's feeling low, Fournier added.
"My youngest said I'm not allowed to die for another four years," laughed Kobylka, who said she's having a good week. "Jordan says I have to see her graduate."
The jovial, teasing attitude has gotten her family through the tough spots, she added.
"There are days I need to cry but mostly I'm a pretty positive person," said Kobylka.
She's still worried about keeping a roof over her head, paying rent and keeping the bills paid and she's a bargain shopper who makes the most of every dollar, she added.
She's used to going it alone. When Fournier told Kobylka what she was doing in the way of fundraising, Kobylka said she was taken aback.
"We really didn't know each other and she went out of her way to do this thing for me and all I could say was thank you," said Kobylka. "I just couldn't believe she was doing this for me. I would like to thank everybody that's out there and willing to do this for some person that they don't even know. It's very sweet."
To help Kobylka visit the Go Fund Me site at http://www.gofundme.com/nd6nx4 or search From Your Heart to Tamara's Time and if anyone would like to donate other things besides cash, like gas gift cards or grocery store gift cards, call Fournier at 250-613-1268.
