PORT ANGELES — Every day, says Jasmine Long, is different.
Her mother, Karen Long, is home from Seattle after receiving a diagnosis of tumefactive multiple sclerosis.
Jasmine, 20, and Karen, 55, are well-known as the women of Oven Spoonful, the cafe and catering company at 110 E. First St.
Jasmine’s father, chef Dave Long, likewise is noted in these parts for his cooking and baking, including a chocolate chip cookie recipe that appeared in the Los Angeles Times.
On May 4, Karen collapsed after a catering job. She spent the next 20 days at Swedish Medical Center in Seattle while Dave drove back and forth from Port Angeles.
As spring turned to summer, he had to turn down a series of catering and vending jobs.
Then the Longs put the cafe up for sale and got some offers, though nothing has panned out yet.
They closed Oven Spoonful on Nov. 1, and while Dave has found some personal-chef work, he is also busy learning how to help Karen with her medications.
Online fundraiser
Jasmine, meantime, suggested a way to reach out to the community for help with medical and living expenses.
A Karen Long page is up on GoFundMe, the crowd-funding website, with a message from Dave, Karen and Jasmine. The family hopes to raise $25,000 in a month’s time.
To find the page, navigate to www.GoFundMe.com and enter “Karen Long” in the search box.
“As you can imagine, our world was turned upside down,” it begins.
“The type of MS she has is often mistaken as a brain tumor. We are blessed,” Dave writes, adding that Karen does not need brain surgery.
“This diagnosis comes with a number of disabilities related to cognition, speech and physical abilities. . . . She remains under intense therapy,” his writing continues.
Jasmine, who has worked alongside her parents since high school, is looking for a new job. It’s been hard, she said, as this is a quiet time of year in Port Angeles.
For the whole family, life is forever changed.
“In the early stages, we weren’t sure if it was brain cancer or MS,” said Jasmine, and now that the diagnosis is clear, “everything has gotten a little bit better.”
“We’re learning a lot about MS,” said Dave, adding that each patient “has a different situation.”
Karen’s attitude is fiercely positive.
“She amazes me, inspires me,” Dave said.
33-year relationship
Dave and Karen met more than 30 years ago at the Sandwich Mill, a restaurant that used to be across from Swain’s General Store in Port Angeles.
They got caught kissing in the walk-in cooler.
The couple will celebrate their 33rd wedding anniversary this year.
The many people they have gotten to know over the years, Dave said, are lifting the Longs’ spirits, sending notes, writing Facebook messages and otherwise lending support.
“We’re moving in a positive direction,” he said.
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Features Editor Diane Urbani de la Paz can be reached at 360-452-2345, ext. 5062, or at diane.urbani@peninsuladailynews.com.
