Help A Mom Tackling Stage 4 Cancer
Donation protected
Well, I am not very good at asking for help, but here goes.
In August 2017 with my 3 month old in my arms, I was diagnosed with Stage 4 Triple Negative Metastatic Breast Cancer.
Due to my young son, we thought it was a blocked milk duct or mastitis. Unfortunately, we were mistaken. The tumor in my breast was over 10 cm with nodes in my lungs by the time I was diagnosed less than 3 months later. I have undergone chemotherapy, a mastectomy, lymph-node dissection, and reconstruction in Vietnam from September 2017 to March 2018.
My freedom was short lived as the cancer spread to my brain by October 2018. I had a craniotomy at the end of October in Cambodia and did my first bout of radiation in Thailand. After several seizures, an MRI showed 3 small lesions in my brain again, so I underwent full brain radiation treatment once again in Thailand in February 2019.
I committed the last decade of my life to education at CIA FIRST International School in Phnom Penh, Cambodia. After more than 8 years of living abroad, I am now back in Canada and in the process reinstating my Ontario residency with my 2 year old son who just celebrated his 2nd birthday! Happy birthday my love!
After being out of country for so long, I am not covered by the Canadian health care system for the next 3 months. This means all expenses are out of pocket. Ouch! We were hoping for an uneventful three months, but after four major seizures that were back to back in Toronto that wasn't the case, so the bills have begun rolling in.
My family has been incredibly supportive through the management of this disease and overall I am handling the diagnosis with strength and positivity. I have a new amazing team of oncologists that I can't wait to work with. However, I need your help! Please.
Anything is possible and I don't have an expiry date! It's wonderful to be back in Canada surrounded by family.
Any support is greatly appreciated! Thank you <3
In August 2017 with my 3 month old in my arms, I was diagnosed with Stage 4 Triple Negative Metastatic Breast Cancer.
Due to my young son, we thought it was a blocked milk duct or mastitis. Unfortunately, we were mistaken. The tumor in my breast was over 10 cm with nodes in my lungs by the time I was diagnosed less than 3 months later. I have undergone chemotherapy, a mastectomy, lymph-node dissection, and reconstruction in Vietnam from September 2017 to March 2018.
My freedom was short lived as the cancer spread to my brain by October 2018. I had a craniotomy at the end of October in Cambodia and did my first bout of radiation in Thailand. After several seizures, an MRI showed 3 small lesions in my brain again, so I underwent full brain radiation treatment once again in Thailand in February 2019.
I committed the last decade of my life to education at CIA FIRST International School in Phnom Penh, Cambodia. After more than 8 years of living abroad, I am now back in Canada and in the process reinstating my Ontario residency with my 2 year old son who just celebrated his 2nd birthday! Happy birthday my love!
After being out of country for so long, I am not covered by the Canadian health care system for the next 3 months. This means all expenses are out of pocket. Ouch! We were hoping for an uneventful three months, but after four major seizures that were back to back in Toronto that wasn't the case, so the bills have begun rolling in.
My family has been incredibly supportive through the management of this disease and overall I am handling the diagnosis with strength and positivity. I have a new amazing team of oncologists that I can't wait to work with. However, I need your help! Please.
Anything is possible and I don't have an expiry date! It's wonderful to be back in Canada surrounded by family.
Any support is greatly appreciated! Thank you <3
Organizer
Amanda Martin
Organizer
Osgoode, ON
