GOSHEN — In just a two-month period, Colleen Wilcox-Mayer has gone from being at the center of town life where she is known for her 20-plus years of work at the post office, to being driven back and forth to Boston for chemotherapy three days a week after a non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma diagnosis in May.

Her daughter, Tara Traska, meets with her mother every Wednesday for lunch and dinner. When they were meeting in March, she first found out Wilcox-Mayer had developed a rash over her upper body.

“I was hounding her to go see a doctor,” said Traska, but the appointments were put off. And then, even when Wilcox-Mayer did reach out for professional help, she was told the rash was consistent with reactions from using biotin, which helps with hair growth. So she stopped taking it.

But then Wilcox-Mayer began to lose her appetite and her lymph nodes became swollen. After some blood work, white blood cells, typically between four and 11, had counts as high as 175, and only went higher — up to 260.

“All tests were positive. We knew mom had cancer,” said Traska.

Wilcox-Mayer will spend nine more weeks heading to Boston for chemotherapy, followed by a two- to three-week break, followed again with four to six weeks in the hospital while she undergoes a bone marrow transplant.

This will be a long journey, and not a cheap one either financially or emotionally, said Traska, who set up a GoFundMe with the title, “Help Colleen kick cancer in the ass.”

Within just days there was already $5,000 raised toward its $25,000 goal, and since June 14, it has collected $12,615 from 122 donors, as of Friday.

Traska said she and her mom “had a good cry together” as they saw the support come pouring in. Traska started crying as she explained that her mom said, “I don’t know if I’m worthy of all this help.”

The funds are being used to pay medical bills and for gas and parking on the way to Boston several times a week.

Traska has been leaving at 4:30 a.m. for 7 a.m. appointments, and has been no stranger to eight hours of sleep in four days if she’s lucky, as she continues to work full-time and take care of her own five kids.

“I bring my mom out to Boston every Monday, which is her longest day because we have to do labs, see the doctor and then do two chemo infusions,” she said.

“Wednesdays and Fridays she only has to do one chemo infusion but they are still long days for mom,” she added, noting how her siblings Madeline and Josh bring her on Wednesdays and Fridays.

Wilcox-Mayer’s house also needed to be re-outfitted to adapt to her weakened immune system caused by chemotherapy. Traska and her husband just spent $2,000 ripping up carpets, taking down curtains and thoroughly cleaning the house so that it is a sterile environment.

Wilcox-Mayer has three children and 10 grandchildren, and in Goshen, “She knows every address by heart.”

Wilcox-Mayer spent some time as a clerk in some other hilltown post offices in addition to working in Goshen. Back when she was a carrier, Traska reminisced how, “When I was a teenager I’d help her deliver mail,” and her right arm would get sun burnt hanging out of the truck.

Traska said two weeks after her mom’s diagnosis she was “in so much pain. She hardly ate anything and lost 10 pounds in a week.”

“She went downhill really fast,” she added.

Now, Wilcox-Mayer is suffering under the “bittersweet” affects of chemotherapy, said Traska.

“Chemo is bittersweet,” she said, clarifying that it is both necessary for healing, but also, “It’s an evil drug — it takes such a toll on the body”

Aside from donating, Traska said, “There are never too many prayers.”

Samuel Gelinas can be reached at sgelinas@gazettenet.com.