As a rural letter carrier for the United States Post Office, Betsy (Wenzel) DeAngelo of Tamaqua drove many miles every day throughout the Barnesville area, ever alert for traffic and wild critters.

As she was leaving the Post Office one day in a vehicle filled with sorted mail, she pulled out thinking the roadway was clear. She quickly realized she pulled into traffic she never saw coming. DeAngelo pulled over, contacted her boss and waited for someone to come and take over her route. She then made her way to the Walmart Vision Center in Hometown, thinking she needed glasses. That eye exam was the start of a totally different type of journey, one that has her fighting for her life.

“The eye doctor at Walmart examined me and told me I needed to go to the emergency room right away,” DeAngelo said. “He actually said he would drive me there himself, but a family member took me to St. Luke’s Miners Hospital instead.”

After much poking and prodding, along with myriad tests, DeAngelo learned the problem wasn’t her eyes. The bad vision was being caused by tumors in her brain. As if that wasn’t bad enough, the brain tumors were caused by previously undiagnosed small cell lung cancer that had already metastasized. Doctors determined her lung cancer had already advanced to the Stage Four level. Multiple chemotherapy and radiation treatments have led to some minor shrinking for the tumors in her brain, but the tumors in her lungs haven’t responded to the treatments.

DeAngelo is the daughter of Janis Wenzel of Tamaqua and the late William Wenzel. The Tamaqua Area High School graduate moved home to help care for her 80-plus-year-old mother, a task she is no longer capable of performing.

“I was supposed to be here to help her,” DeAngelo said. “But now I can’t. That just drives me crazy.”

A co-worker, Lisa Benneck of Nesquehoning, hates to see the struggle her friend is facing, both in the personal toll to her mind and body as well as the financial aspect.

“Her medications alone cost more than $300 a month. Betsy can’t drive and has to rely on others to get back and forth to doctors and treatments. Not being able to take care of herself and her mother is wearing her down — physically, mentally and emotionally. She’s very independent and finds it hard to ask for help. Betsy was always quick to help others in need, now it’s our turn to help her.”

So, her friend is doing the asking. Benneck has established a medical help fund in DeAngelo’s name at Santander Bank, 300 E. Broad St., Tamaqua. While the account was created at the Tamaqua branch, donations to the Betsy DeAngelo Fund may be made at any Santander bank.