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Kathryn "Kate" Herdman was diagnosed with "an aggressive terminal grade-four glioblastoma tumor" in November 2023, according to a memorial fundraiser on GoFundMe. Her obituary said the South Toms River woman died at 36 years old on Monday, Feb. 12.
On the GoFundMe page, Kate's husband Jesse Hardman said the family's health insurance was "wrongfully terminated" a few weeks before her death.
"Some of Kate’s healthcare providers were asking me if I was ready to pay out of pocket for her care," Jesse Hardman wrote. "Just knowing that this fundraiser was there to help if it came to that, gave me security and helped me not to panic."
Kate Herdman's GoFundMe page had raised more than $59,000 from at least 512 donations as of Thursday, Feb. 22.
Jesse and Kate Herdman had a two-year-old and one-year-old daughter together but she began having seizures two months after the couple's second girl was born.
"After going to the doctor, it was discovered that Kate had a brain tumor," Jesse's uncle Shawn Brennan wrote on the GoFundMe page. "Kate has undergone two surgeries, chemo, radiation, and immunotherapy. The surgery left Kate with complications similar to a stroke."
Kate's obituary described her as a compassionate mother.
"Kate demonstrated her love of caring for others by working as a nanny and dog sitter for over fifteen years," the obituary said. "Kate loved animals, being in nature, football, hockey, and most of all, her two daughters."
The obituary also said Kate was born on Sunday, Feb. 7, 1988, in Red Bank. She grew up in Middletown and Neptune, graduated from Neptune High School in 2006, and attended Brookdale Community College.
A private service was scheduled for Kate.
Click here to donate to Kate Herdman's GoFundMe page.
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