Nicole Martinelli, who hails from Parsippany, was in remission after battling breast and kidney cancers for two years, when she was diagnosed with ovarian cancer at 42 years old.
"It’s like playing a bad game of 'Whack-A-Mole 'and it’s not much fun," she wrote on a GoFundMe launched by a friend of 30 years, Maria Uribe.
Martinelli says as she again faces surgery, "the financial strain has proven to be the hardest part."
Uribe says Martinelli, who she calls Nikki, "is the type of person who would give you the shirt off her back if you needed it, even to a person she just met.
"She loves with all her heart. She loves life. I can tell you this girl, always has a smile on her face. She will help you however she can if you are in need. She may have stopped being a New York Rangers fan once she moved to Florida, but we cannot judge her for this."
The GoFundMe for Martinelli had raised more than $15,000 as of Monday, Oct. 9. Click here to donate.
Click here to follow Daily Voice North Hunterdon and receive free news updates.