67-year-old with $2.8M in homes and $19K credit-card debt asks: should I get a HELOC?

A 67-year-old American woman owns two mortgage-free homes worth a combined $2.8 million but carries $19,000 in credit-card debt. Her son was recently diagnosed with lymphoma possibly linked to burn-pit exposure during his military service in Afghanistan, adding to her financial concerns. She is weighing whether to take out a home equity line of credit (HELOC) to pay off the debt.