Thought you were having a bad day? The woman, 47, revealed she lost her home in a fire, wrecked a motorcycle and was diagnosed with cancer – all within 24 hours.
Wendy Hansen, from Mitchellville, Iowa, was running errands with her fiance. The 47-year-old was alerted to a house fire and returned to his motorcycle. He crashed and was taken to the hospital where he was diagnosed with cancer.
Tragedy strikes a woman after losing her home, wrecking her motorcycle and being diagnosed with cancer within 24 hours.
Wendy Hansen, from Mitchellville, Iowa, was running errands with fiancé Russ Farnsworth, 61, when the series of events began to unfold on July 2.
The accountant, 47, told PEOPLE his ‘head was spinning’ as he explained: ‘I went from losing my house, to destroying my motorcycle which I absolutely loved, to this woman standing in front of me telling me I had cancer.’
She said the heartbreaking shocks were ‘overwhelming’ but she was determined to deal with the issues.
Wendy Hansen, from Mitchellville, Iowa, was running errands with fiance Russ Farnsworth, 61, when the series of events began to unfold on July 2.
The couple rode out on their motorcycles when Wendy received an emergency alert that their 27 pets – three exotics, three dogs and 21 sugar gliders – were still trapped inside their home.
The couple were out riding their motorcycles when Wendy received an emergency alert that their 27 pets – three exotics, three dogs and 21 sugar gliders – were still trapped inside their home.
They ran to get back and in their haste, Hansen, who was not wearing any protective gear, hit a culvert on the road and was thrown from his Victory Magnum bike.
But with adrenaline still pumping, he shrugs off the pain, gets on Russ’s motorcycle and continues their ride home.
He told the publication that even though the house was boarded up, they could still ‘smell smoke and hear all the windows being smashed by the firefighters.’
Wendy found her house engulfed in flames before being rushed to hospital where doctors found she had broken her scapula and collarbone, required six stitches in her left knee and had numerous other cuts and bruises from the accident.
Doctors decided to run a CT scan to make sure he wasn’t suffering from internal bleeding – but, as a result, a mass was found in his kidney.
It was diagnosed as renal cell carcinoma – a form of cancer – and Wendy will now have to have at least part of her kidney removed.
Depending on the results of the biopsy, he will likely need radiation or chemotherapy.
Doctors found he had broken his scapula and collarbone, his left knee needed six stitches from a deep laceration, and numerous other cuts and bruises from the crash.
But doctors said the trifecta of events could be a blessing in disguise as cancer often goes undetected at a later stage, adding: ‘This motorcycle accident saved your life.’
Tragically, the couple lost everything they owned, including their six pets, in the fire — which is said to have started under a deck where the fire ignited a propane tank.
The pair, who have been together for 12 years, are currently living with Wendy’s son as they start rebuilding their home from scratch.
A GoFundMe page has also been set up to cover building costs in addition to medical bills.
What is Renal Cell Carcinoma?
In adults, renal cell carcinoma is the most common type of kidney cancer.
There are usually no signs or symptoms in the early stages of kidney cancer, but they may develop over time.
Symptoms may include:
Blood in your urine, which may appear pink, red, or cola-colored Pain in your back or side that doesn’t go away Loss of appetite Unexplained weight loss Fatigue Fever
Factors that may increase the risk of kidney cancer include – but are not limited to – aging, smoking, obesity and high blood pressure.
Source: Mayo Clinic