Let's Rally For Our AliTiger!!!!!
LIFE IS FOR LIVING
For those of you that know me, hello friends! For those of you that don't, I would like to introduce myself. My name is Sarah. More importantly, I would like to introduce you to the most beautiful person I have ever met, inside and out, Alicia Bertine. In the late summer of last year, 2015, I was at the Oncology Department of Penn Presbyterian, when Alicia walked in for her appointment as well. She had an aura about her that you could not help but be drawn to, and an awesome haircut that was bright red, and deserved a compliment! We struck up a conversation from there, and wound up having our infusion appointments at the same time. For the next few hours, sitting side by side, we got our infusions, shared a brownie, became the best of friends instantly, vowed our support for eachothers' battles, and the rest is history!
For those of you that have not been fortunate enough to meet Alicia, words will never truly do her justice when trying to describe who she is. Alicia is beautiful, strong, uplifting, generous, courageous, miraculous....and every other positive adjective that has ever existed. I am asking for your help today, to give Alicia a financial boost to make it through this very difficult time in her life. She has always been a pillar of strength and inspiration to so many people, and deserves any help that we can offer her at this time.
April 2nd is her 8 year Survivor Anniversary. She has fought Pancreatic Cancer for so long, not to mention all of the other medical issues that have occurred alongside her cancer. It is her strong faith, her friends, her loving boyfriend Andres, and her sheer will to live that has helped her to this point. She has helped countless others in waging the war against Pancreatic Cancer, and she deserves any and all the help that we could give her!
To give you the a better picture of her current battles, I am sharing with you a bit of her story, in her own words, so you can see what this amazing woman fights with on a daily basis.
ALICIA'S STORY
https://www.facebook.com/alicia.bertine/videos/vb.594785266/10153359839295267/?type=2&theater
"A month ago, I went in for a simple cancer staging PET Scan. The past 8 year's, with God's help, I have battled Ampulary into Pancreatic Cancer. The immunotherapy trial I was on at Penn, came to an end. To continue on the drug without the trial, we had to prove that the cancer was stable and not growing. Not only did the scan prove that, it also showed that I had two spots light up on my brain. That was a COMPLETE SHOCK. My Oncologist called right away to advise that I needed an emergency MRI on the brain. My boyfriend drove me straight to the hospital where I got the MRI. I was then told that I would be immediately admitted to the NICU, and have an emergency brain surgery in less than 16 hours. We didn't know what to think. To say we were upset was quite an understatement. This past month for me has been a blur. I was admitted 5 days in NICU for the brain cancer. Then just a week later, 7 days for a biliary stent issue that they tried to remove because it has caused me to be septic 8 times since the first time, and almost killed me in July 2015. Then I just had Gamma Knife Radiation on the back left part of my brain. They told me that I was healing quick. I tried to drive a couple days later, and almost flipped my car from the exhaustion of the radiation.
This week alone, I have to be at Penn 3 different days, and have yet to secure safe transportation. I have a CT Scan, a follow-up with my GI Oncologist, and they are also going to try to remove the biliary drain....again.
As we come up on April, my incredible boyfriend, Andres, has lost countless days of work to help take care of me. I have had home nurses, but we have had to do our own infusions of antibiotics. To make matters worse, my prescription insurance has cancelled me. I am trying so hard to get on a supplemental plan, but it is hard when i can't currently drive, and my brain feels like a crazy mess. We have had to pay out-of-pocket for loads of scripts.
UPDATE 4/2 & an exciting announcement from Alicia ...
#UPDATE 4/2
RECENT VIDEO UPDATES
From Alicia:
https://www.facebook.com/alicia.bertine/videos/vb.594785266/10153364048015267/?type=2&theater
https://www.facebook.com/alicia.bertine/videos/vb.594785266/10153367122490267/?type=2&theater
https://www.facebook.com/alicia.bertine/videos/vb.594785266/10153370816380267/?type=2&theater
https://www.facebook.com/alicia.bertine/videos/vb.594785266/10153428802880267/?type=2&theater
https://www.facebook.com/alicia.bertine/videos/vb.594785266/10153438960550267/?type=2&theater
ALICIA'S WISH
All that I want to do is get to my little sisters wedding on April 23rd in Florida. I am supposed to be a bridesmaid and April 2nd is my 8 Year Survivor Anniversary. If you can find it in your heart to help us in any way, please do. We constantly give back and volunteer our services, and now we need all of the help that we can get. Anything will help us!
Thank you from the bottom
of our hearts,
Alicia Bertine & Andres
ALICIA'S WISH - UPDATED APRIL 12, 2016
As some of you may have noticed, we have hit our initial goal of getting Andres and I to my sisters wedding! I CANNOT THANK YOU ALL ENOUGH!!! It seriously brings me to tears knowing that I still have the support of my family and friends. For those that don't even know me, and you have given your support, you are incredible and I thank you immensely!!!
Currently, my sister Amy's biological father has been in the hospital in serious condition for over two weeks. I HAVE TO BE THERE FOR HER. I am still weak and don't yet even have the clearance to fly to Florida. Nevermind much energy while I am still healing from the antibiotics I am finishing today. I just had 4 infections and need prayers because my temperature is still running low grade, which could mean they didn't knock out everything, or I just need some real sleep. I have been working diligently to get a new prescription plan. I have found oneplan that I may qualify for, however, it doesn't cover all of my super strong "Infectious Disease" antibiotics I have to be on every time I have a biliary drain issue. These antibiotics (just one) can cost in excess of $2,000. I have been on them at least 7 to 8 times in the past year. Sometimes, it is 3 or 4 at a time.
As you can imagine and add up, this will get really expensive since the state of New Jersey does not qualify me for more "Extra Help."
PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE keep sharing, praying, and asking anyone you know to help if they can or are willing. I've got to focus on healing and fighting. Not the stress of "what if I can't get the medicine I need to live on?!"
When I say I seriously couldn't and wouldn't be able to fight like this and be alive without God, Andres, and all of my incredible family and firends....It's the truth of my life.
I will continue to always fight for more cancer funding, awareness, and pay it forward as often as I am able!
Graciously,
Alicia Bertine
Your Fierce AliTiger
A THANK YOU IN ADVANCE
We all know how hard it is to ask for help sometimes when we need it most. Alicia didn't ask me to help her, I asked her if I could. And in the most humble way, she accepted. I know that times are hard for so many right now, but if you could find it in your heart to donate, any and every little amount can help us get Alicia to Florida, and through some of this financial burden that has taken it's toll for nearly a decade. Alicia has so much to offer the world, and she has for so long....it's time that we, as part of her world....try to give back to her and offer her a little cushion to make life more tolerable in the financial sense right now. I have never met anyone more deserving. It is time to see that beautiful smile again through all of this pain. The "Alicia" smile that lights up the entire room.
There is only a small window of time between now and her sister's wedding on April 23rd. I am hoping we could all pull through for her by the middle of April to help her get there!!!!Thank you all so much for taking the time to help in any way that you could!!!!
Follow Alicia Bertine on FB:
https://www.facebook.com/AliciaBertineOfficial/?fref=ts