your friend must be so stressed, ill as he is. Frankly unless someone with a LOT of experience takes the cat I can't see a happy ending. The fact that she is alone some of the time is not helping her but I understand the reasons why. Ask at some of the no kill shelters if they know of anyone that could assist in this special case. Good luck and thanks for helping out.
Cats are like Potato Chips - you can't have just one