Heidi Rhea
Heidi Rhea
A Rhea of Hope LA
Founder
https://www.arheaofhopela.org
FB Northshore Oktoberfest by A Rhea of Hope LA
985-502-5408
In June 1997, my husband, Rob, accepted a position as a Regional Manager with a nursing home company in Hammond. At the time, we were living in Indiana and preparing for a move to a warmer climate. The transition coincided with several family milestones: the birth of our first grandchild, our son’s enrollment at Ball State University, and our relocation with our youngest daughter, Heather. Heather and I moved in August and settled in Mandeville.
As a teacher, I had missed the St. Tammany Parish job fair and initially struggled to secure employment. However, after Rob submitted my résumé to the SLU Laboratory School, I was hired to teach science for grades six through eight. Shortly thereafter, my husband’s company declared bankruptcy, leaving us in a difficult financial and professional position. After months of searching, Rob obtained a position in Iowa, however, we did not want to move there. He was eventually transferred to a nursing home in New Orleans.
I taught at the SLU Laboratory School for nine years and later spent a year teaching Science Methods at SLU. Wanting to return to working with younger students, I accepted a position teaching gifted fifth grade at Tchefuncte Middle School, located near our home.
In June 2011, my life changed significantly. While preparing for our second mission trip to Malawi, I developed persistent itching, nausea, and fatigue. Initially, I attributed these symptoms to travel conditions. By the time we returned home, I was jaundiced. I was promptly evaluated and diagnosed with cholangiocarcinoma, or bile duct cancer, a rare and aggressive disease. Further genetic testing revealed that I have Lynch Syndrome, an inherited condition associated with a significantly increased risk of multiple cancers. This diagnosis was consistent with my extensive family history of colon cancer.
Nearly fifteen years later, I am a rare long-term survivor of cholangiocarcinoma, a disease with a high mortality rate, often worsened by delayed diagnosis. In 2018, I attended my first Cholangiocarcinoma Foundation Conference, an experience that reshaped my purpose and direction. As a result, I founded a nonprofit organization, A Rhea of Hope LA, dedicated to raising awareness and funding for bile duct cancer. Despite its projected rise to one of the leading causes of cancer-related deaths in the United States, this disease remains largely unknown, even as its incidence continues to increase locally.
Heidi Rhea
A Rhea of Hope LA
Founder
https://www.arheaofhopela.org
FB Northshore Oktoberfest by A Rhea of Hope LA
985-502-5408
