OK, Methuen – community-rally alert!!

West End resident Amy Foote, 45, is fighting HARD as she battles a rare form of cancer. The longtime hair stylist (now at Elan Hair Studio, previously at Studio D) has taken a leave of absence while being treated for thymic cancer which affects about 400 people in the U.S. each year.

Mathew Manion says his wife Amy Foote is a fighter who advocated to get a diagnosis for her shoulder pain. An MRI revealed she has a rare but treatable cancer. Courtesy photo

It started a year and a half ago, explains Mathew Marion, Amy’s husband of 8 years. She thought she had a work-related shoulder injury. She went to her doctor, who sent her to different orthopedists, and there was lots of testing and X-rays.

“It wasn’t until she was her best advocate – and pushed to get an MRI on her shoulder in July – that they found a mass,” he said.

Amy is now home after 18 days at Brigham and Women’s Dana-Farber in Boston. Her in-patient radiation has ended and her out-patient radiation now begins. After that, it’s expected she’ll need between 4 and 6 rounds of chemotherapy every three weeks. So there’s a long road ahead.

Thymic cancer is treatable.

“We’re hoping the treatment works for Amy,” Mathew said, his voice filled with emotion.

She has lots of family and friends supporting her right here in Methuen, plus an extra-special little girl named Ella Rose, 2½ (the child of her son Shawn Bouley and his fiancée) who loves her.

“The light of Amy’s life is her granddaughter,” Mathew emphasized.

West End City Councilor Allie Saffie is friends with Amy and says, “She’s just the sweetest person. She’s very involved (in the community), always asks lots of questions and she’s always there to help others. … She’s the ideal friend.”

Allie says the GoFundMe donations will definitely help Amy during treatment, as she’s self-employed so taking time out of work will be a financial hit.

Mathew is staying positive and looking ahead to getting back to the things he and Amy are passionate about.

“We enjoy the beach, being on the (Merrimack) river – and every winter we travel to Costa Rica,” he said, adding they can’t get enough of the wildlife there, the friends they’ve made and the gorgeous scenery. “Hopefully we can still make it this time. … There’s no quit in Amy!”

If you’d like to support Amy, visit GoFundMe.com and search for Amy Foote Marion.