For a few months over the summer, Tyger Adoure-Zehaim, a pediatric nurse for ProMedica, thought she was just struggling with pain in her back. 

After several months of treatment and no signs of improvement in her condition, Mrs. Adoure-Zehaim’s primary care physician sent her to have an MRI done.

“I got my MRI on a Monday and within about three hours he was calling me,” Mrs. Adoure-Zehaim said. “As a nurse, I know that’s not good.”

It was then that she learned she had a stage four metastatic tumor on the outside of her lungs, and that it had spread to the rest of her body, including her brain and breasts. A couple of days later, Mrs. Adoure-Zehaim was coughing up blood. She soon found herself in a hospital bed.

Since her diagnosis on the week of Nov. 17, Mrs. Adoure-Zehaim’s family, friends, and community members have shown their support by raising thousands of dollars through a GoFundMe page, selling T-shirts, and a charity benefit in her honor at Great Black Swamp Brewing Company on Saturday.

“It is so overwhelming, but in the best way,” Mrs. Adoure-Zehaim said. “You don’t realize how many people you have an impact on until you go through something like this.”

Ashley Tucker, Mrs. Adoure-Zehaim’s cousin, started a GoFundMe page to help raise money for her cousin’s medical bills on Nov. 22. Three days later on Nov. 25, the page raised $38,239 out of a $60,000 goal. As of Dec. 5, the page has raised $49,079.

Mrs. Tucker said she originally set a goal for $10,000 and by the next day, she was $1,000 away from her goal.

“I am just overwhelmed,” Mrs. Tucker said. “I don’t even know what to think. I knew we had a big support system for her. I know they have a big friend group and all that but I didn’t realize how big of a support group she has.”

Mrs. Adoure-Zehaim is more of a sister to her than a cousin, Mrs. Tucker said. They grew up together and lived right next door to each other.

She woke up to a message from her cousin about her diagnosis and has been doing her best to be there for Mrs. Adoure-Zehaim since then.

“I’ve been struggling really bad but it’s not about me,” Mrs. Tucker said. “I’m trying to stay strong for her, her family, and try to help out with their boys.”

Mrs. Tucker is one of the many supporters Mrs. Adoure-Zehaim has had in her corner since she was diagnosed.

Great Black Swamp Brewing Company owner Andy Parish and his wife Alexi, for example, almost immediately organized a benefit in honor of Mrs. Adoure-Zehaim.

Mr. Parish is best friends with one of Mrs. Adoure-Zehaim’s husband’s brother-in-laws, he said.

He said he’s known Sam Adoure-Zehaim, Mrs. Adoure-Zehaim’s husband, since Mr. Adoure-Zehaim was 19 years old.

“He’s been part of our extended family for a long period of time,” Mr. Parish said of Mrs. Adoure-Zehaim’s husband.

He was absolutely devastated when Mr. Adoure-Zehaim called him to tell him about his wife’s diagnosis, Mr. Parish said. Mrs. Adoure-Zehaim is like a sister to Mr. Parish, he said.

“Instantly your mind starts racing, “ Mr. Parish said. “Obviously, there are so many earthly things you can do.”

The benefit at Great Black Swamp Brewing Company, 2250 Tedrow Rd., will be from 6 to 10 p.m. Saturday. It will include a silent auction; raffle prizes; an appearance from Toledo musician Zak Ward, who will be playing music and emcee the event, and a pulled pork dinner, Mr. Parish said.

A portion of the beer and liquor sales will go toward Mrs. Adoure-Zehaim and her family, Mr. Parish said.

The brewery owner said he hopes and anticipates a great turnout at the benefit.

“To have somebody like that give so much of their life for so long in the nursing community, how can you not try to do something to help her out,” Mr. Parish said.

Brittany Cantwell, Mrs. Adoure-Zehaim’s best friend and co-worker at ProMedica, said the pediatric nurse is “probably one of the best people I’ve ever met in my life.”

“She is just such a phenomenal person and she’s everyone’s cheerleader,” the NICU nurse said. “She’s the person that will give you the shirt off her back. … She’s always the first to help out her friends and her family so to just think of the fact that now she needs us, there was no hesitation. We all just kind of rallied around her.”

Mrs. Cantwell is selling T-shirts that read “Support Squad” with the hashtag “TeamTyger” underneath. She’s sold more than 100 shirts so far, she said.

All proceeds made from the shirts will go to the Adoure-Zehaim family, Mrs. Cantwell.

“Working in the NICU [premature] pride shirt fund-raisers,” Mrs. Cantwell said. “We’ll buy shirts for the unit and a portion of those earnings will go to [organizations] like March of Dimes and because of that, I thought that we could possibly do that for her as well.”

Mr. Adoure-Zehaim said he and his wife are humbled by the outpouring of support from friends, family, and the community.

He said he believes his wife’s selflessness and commitment to helping people is why the support behind her is so strong.

“She’s a very giving person,” he said. “She’s the best friend to people and sometimes to my own detriment. I remember there were times when we would plan to do something and then a friend said, ‘Hey, Tyger, we need your help with this.’ And she would say, ‘Hey, Sam, do you mind if we helped so and so out?

“She’s always willing to give and give and give. She kind of always puts herself second in most situations and I think that now that she needs that help, I think people are giving her that same treatment that she’s been giving for years and years and years.”

To donate to the GoFundMe for Mrs. Adoure-Zehaim, visit gofund.me/bbb7c532.

First Published December 6, 2024, 10:19 p.m.