Help Shana Fight Stage IV Metastatic Breast Cancer
Donation protected
The Backstory
My sister, Shana, was first diagnosed with stage 3 triple negative breast cancer in 2017, at the age of 45. This came as a shock to us all, but, as a single mother to two amazing young daughters, she knew she had to fight - and fight she did. She endured 5 months of chemotherapy, a double mastectomy, 30 radiation treatments, and the removal of her tubes and ovaries.
Although one is never considered “cured” of cancer - there is always the chance it can return - Shana felt very hopeful about her future. Pathology after her mastectomy showed that the chemo had done its job - it had killed all of the cancer cells. This improved her long-term survival odds significantly and, when her active treatment ended in April 2018, she set about rebuilding her strength and her life.
In the fall of 2018, she returned to her job as a massage and craniosacral therapist, and began seeing a few clients a week, assuming her strength would quickly build up and she would be back to a full schedule again soon. But things never seemed to fall into place. Her fatigue worsened and she developed strange flu-like symptoms. By December she was really struggling, and in January she went to the ER with what she thought were severe back spasms.
The Diagnosis
After numerous tests, her doctors determined that not only was her breast cancer back, but it had spread to her brain, bones and liver. Her diagnosis was now Stage IV Metastatic Breast Cancer (MBC), which is a terminal disease. The median lifespan after an MBC diagnosis is 26 months, and only 22% of women are still alive after 5 years.
This was obviously a devastating blow to her, her daughters, her family and all of her friends. She will never “beat” this, and she will never “win” or “get better.” She will live with cancer for the rest of her life, whether that’s weeks, months or years. Shana desperately wants to see her daughters grow up, and her deepest hope is that existing treatments can keep her alive long enough for the development of more effective treatments, or even a cure. But triple negative breast cancer is notoriously difficult to treat, and while she tries to stay positive, she is aware that cancer may well be her undoing. With that in mind, Shana is doing everything she can to make the most of each day, and to put things in order for when that is no longer possible.
What’s Next
After almost three weeks in the hospital, Shana is finally coming home, but to a very different life. The tumors in her spine cause severe pain, which means she is on narcotics and needs a walker to mobilize. She fatigues quickly, and her dreams of leading a healthy, vibrant life doing the things she loves most, like hiking and kayaking, are gone. She now dreams of keeping her pain level low enough to function, and to be as present as she can for her daughters. She dreams of a treatment that allows for a good quality of life, that is effective, and gives her more time with her friends and family.
At this point, it is unlikely that Shana will work again, which is another devastating blow, as her job brought great fulfillment and meaning to her life. Helping people resolve their pain, and lead happy, active lives brought her great joy; now she is the one who needs help.
The Costs
As you can imagine, there are many costs that come with a terminal cancer diagnosis, and the fact that Shana cannot work significantly and substantially adds to the ever-growing financial burden. As a single parent, Shana is the only adult in her household. She has a lot of support from friends and family, but she is still alone, or alone with her children, most of the time.
She will need help with house cleaning and tasks like dishes and laundry. She will need to use a grocery delivery service. She may need modifications made to her home, like the installation of grab bars to make it easier for her to maneuver safely. Things like smart speakers and smart plugs could be helpful... getting in and out of bed is particularly challenging, and it’s frustrating when she finally gets settled only to realize she forgot to turn off the lamp and now can’t reach it. A video doorbell would help her assess if she needs to go through the effort to get down the stairs to answer the door.
Thankfully Shana has Medicaid, so most of her medical expenses are covered. However, there may be additional pain control options, such as acupuncture, that are not covered. If she chooses to pursue these services as a way to improve her quality of life and reduce her need for narcotics, she will need to pay out of pocket.
Shana is particularly distressed by the toll of her illness on her children and is hoping to keep their lives as “normal” as possible. With the loss of her income, it’s difficult for Shana to maintain her children’s extracurricular activities and enrichment classes, so any money raised would also go towards keeping their activities as fulfilling as possible. Her older daughter loves art classes and aerial silks, and her younger daughter loves taking care of animals (she just went to a farm camp over winter break).
Transportation needs also present a significant challenge. Shana doesn’t know when she’ll be able to drive again and has made the decision to enroll the children in the school aftercare program, thus alleviating the stress of cobbling together rides at the end of the school day (their school does not offer busing). This will be a significant expense but will provide the stability that she and her children need. Shana may also need to use services like Uber or Lyft to get to her many appointments.
How Can You Help
More than anything, Shana is helped by the love and support of her community. Knowing that you are in her corner and rooting for her means so much, and helps her find the courage to face this fight.
If you live close to Shana and her family and can help with errands, driving her children to activities, or visits to keep Shana’s spirits up, please contact me and I can help make those arrangements. If you live far and would like to help, donating even a few dollars would be appreciated more than you would ever know. Even simply sharing her story and spreading the word helps.
We love you dearly Shana, and we are all working together to help you in any and every way we can!
My sister, Shana, was first diagnosed with stage 3 triple negative breast cancer in 2017, at the age of 45. This came as a shock to us all, but, as a single mother to two amazing young daughters, she knew she had to fight - and fight she did. She endured 5 months of chemotherapy, a double mastectomy, 30 radiation treatments, and the removal of her tubes and ovaries.
Although one is never considered “cured” of cancer - there is always the chance it can return - Shana felt very hopeful about her future. Pathology after her mastectomy showed that the chemo had done its job - it had killed all of the cancer cells. This improved her long-term survival odds significantly and, when her active treatment ended in April 2018, she set about rebuilding her strength and her life.
In the fall of 2018, she returned to her job as a massage and craniosacral therapist, and began seeing a few clients a week, assuming her strength would quickly build up and she would be back to a full schedule again soon. But things never seemed to fall into place. Her fatigue worsened and she developed strange flu-like symptoms. By December she was really struggling, and in January she went to the ER with what she thought were severe back spasms.
The Diagnosis
After numerous tests, her doctors determined that not only was her breast cancer back, but it had spread to her brain, bones and liver. Her diagnosis was now Stage IV Metastatic Breast Cancer (MBC), which is a terminal disease. The median lifespan after an MBC diagnosis is 26 months, and only 22% of women are still alive after 5 years.
This was obviously a devastating blow to her, her daughters, her family and all of her friends. She will never “beat” this, and she will never “win” or “get better.” She will live with cancer for the rest of her life, whether that’s weeks, months or years. Shana desperately wants to see her daughters grow up, and her deepest hope is that existing treatments can keep her alive long enough for the development of more effective treatments, or even a cure. But triple negative breast cancer is notoriously difficult to treat, and while she tries to stay positive, she is aware that cancer may well be her undoing. With that in mind, Shana is doing everything she can to make the most of each day, and to put things in order for when that is no longer possible.
What’s Next
After almost three weeks in the hospital, Shana is finally coming home, but to a very different life. The tumors in her spine cause severe pain, which means she is on narcotics and needs a walker to mobilize. She fatigues quickly, and her dreams of leading a healthy, vibrant life doing the things she loves most, like hiking and kayaking, are gone. She now dreams of keeping her pain level low enough to function, and to be as present as she can for her daughters. She dreams of a treatment that allows for a good quality of life, that is effective, and gives her more time with her friends and family.
At this point, it is unlikely that Shana will work again, which is another devastating blow, as her job brought great fulfillment and meaning to her life. Helping people resolve their pain, and lead happy, active lives brought her great joy; now she is the one who needs help.
The Costs
As you can imagine, there are many costs that come with a terminal cancer diagnosis, and the fact that Shana cannot work significantly and substantially adds to the ever-growing financial burden. As a single parent, Shana is the only adult in her household. She has a lot of support from friends and family, but she is still alone, or alone with her children, most of the time.
She will need help with house cleaning and tasks like dishes and laundry. She will need to use a grocery delivery service. She may need modifications made to her home, like the installation of grab bars to make it easier for her to maneuver safely. Things like smart speakers and smart plugs could be helpful... getting in and out of bed is particularly challenging, and it’s frustrating when she finally gets settled only to realize she forgot to turn off the lamp and now can’t reach it. A video doorbell would help her assess if she needs to go through the effort to get down the stairs to answer the door.
Thankfully Shana has Medicaid, so most of her medical expenses are covered. However, there may be additional pain control options, such as acupuncture, that are not covered. If she chooses to pursue these services as a way to improve her quality of life and reduce her need for narcotics, she will need to pay out of pocket.
Shana is particularly distressed by the toll of her illness on her children and is hoping to keep their lives as “normal” as possible. With the loss of her income, it’s difficult for Shana to maintain her children’s extracurricular activities and enrichment classes, so any money raised would also go towards keeping their activities as fulfilling as possible. Her older daughter loves art classes and aerial silks, and her younger daughter loves taking care of animals (she just went to a farm camp over winter break).
Transportation needs also present a significant challenge. Shana doesn’t know when she’ll be able to drive again and has made the decision to enroll the children in the school aftercare program, thus alleviating the stress of cobbling together rides at the end of the school day (their school does not offer busing). This will be a significant expense but will provide the stability that she and her children need. Shana may also need to use services like Uber or Lyft to get to her many appointments.
How Can You Help
More than anything, Shana is helped by the love and support of her community. Knowing that you are in her corner and rooting for her means so much, and helps her find the courage to face this fight.
If you live close to Shana and her family and can help with errands, driving her children to activities, or visits to keep Shana’s spirits up, please contact me and I can help make those arrangements. If you live far and would like to help, donating even a few dollars would be appreciated more than you would ever know. Even simply sharing her story and spreading the word helps.
We love you dearly Shana, and we are all working together to help you in any and every way we can!
Organizer and beneficiary
Wesley Herrin
Organizer
Bloomfield Hills, MI
Shana Herrin
Beneficiary
