Name: BLEGHS! For Beth
Start: 2024-09-27T19:00:00-04:00
Location: Madison Theater

BLEGHS! For Beth - Cancer Benefit Show
Tickets $12.00
Performances by: Encrement, 89 Letters, Unwinding Reality, Suspectum and Kyla Mainous-Johnson
On July 28, Beth Johnson (Glassworld, Vocalist) took her mom, Lori, to Mercy Hospital in Fairfield for what she thought would be a Covid test. By the end of the night, they were told Lori had a large mass in her right lung constricting her airway, as well as at least two more large masses in her brain. She was transferred that night to Mercy Jewish Hospital, where she spent the next three weeks. On August 1, it was confirmed Lori had End Stage Small Cell Lung Cancer that had metastasized in other parts of the body. In those three weeks, radiation treatments were done on Lori’s lungs and brain, but the treatments only served to make Lori comfortable and lucid. The doctors haven’t been able to give the family a concrete timeline— just “weeks.” Treatment wasn’t really an option: the tumors are marked in her chart as “innumerable,” the ones in her brain inoperable, the cancer too aggressive to ever really go into remission, and chemo would only buy a month or two, making her sick the whole time.
Lori is currently stable at the time of writing this. She has been staying in an assisted living facility since leaving the hospital, the youngest one there at 52. She’ll be 53 on September 15. She has hospice care come in a couple times a week. The radiation did its job in making her a little stronger, but there’s evidence of the tumors still. The staff is great and has been taking really wonderful care of her. But we know time is limited, and we’re trying to soak up every moment.
As you can imagine, this has sent the family into a whirlwind. Beth, especially, has had to shoulder an immense load. Almost overnight, she learned her mother only has weeks left to live, and then she also has to figure out all the financial things that come with this sudden change. Insurance hasn’t covered all of the hospital costs. Room and board at the assisted living facility is between 8k-12k a month. There’s impending funeral costs with no life insurance to help. The financial stress has been heavy.
This is where you come in!! There are two purposes to this benefit: first, Beth needs her community to show up for her and love on her right now. Even if you can’t financially show up beyond the $12 ticket, come love on Beth and listen to some fantastic music! The second reason is to raise as much money for the family as possible, to offset these unpredictable costs. Our goal between the two benefits we are having is $8,000! All the ticket sales will be going back to the family, we will have lots of amazing raffle prizes, as well as split the pot!! Plus, five incredible bands you don’t want to miss. This is a night for true community that we hope you’ll come out for!
Share this event, invite your friends. It helps more than you know.
RAFFLE DONATIONS ARE STILL NEEDED!!! Please message Kyla (event co-host, benefit organizer, Beth’s wife) for information about donations.
Can’t make it but still want to give? Here’s our GoFundMe: https://gofund.me/21a7cde1
Thanks to everyone who has donated so far, who has reached out with kind words, and especially to Madison Theater and all of the bands for donating their time.