Anything For Andrea!
Donation protected
Hi, our Mom, Andrea Anfiteatro, is battling metastatic breast cancer. We are hoping to raise money to help pay for household expenses and treatment expenses not covered by insurance. We know this will help alleviate financial stress on our mom.
Who We Are:
I am Jake Friedman and 18 years old, I graduated high school this June and am attending a local community college in August. My brother Jared is 16 and will be a Junior in high school this year. Our dad, Douglas Friedman, is helping us with this GoFundMe page and we hope you will support us.
Mom and Dad have been divorced for 6 years. As a single mom, our Mom has always put us kids before herself with everything. Mom has been working from home for 14 years. She owns her own business selling promotional products. You can see what she does at www.yournextidea.com. The last few years the business has not been as profitable as in years past but our Mom must continue working. Dad just started a new job and will be moving about 2 hours away in the next couple of months.
About Our Mom:
Mom has reluctantly agreed for us to help with a GoFundMe page. She initially said no and didn’t want to share her story or her vulnerability and shatter her pride. She is very strong minded, brave and very independent so asking for help 15 months after diagnosis shows that the fight is getting harder for her.
At the end of January 2017, Mom was diagnosed with Inflammatory Breast Cancer (IBC), a rare and very aggressive form of breast cancer. Only 1-5% of breast cancers are this type of cancer. Mom immediately started IV chemotherapy. After one year of 4 different IV chemotherapy combinations, the cancer didn’t respond to the treatment. Unfortunately, the cancer spread. She is currently on a chemo pill twice a day called Verzenio (as well as other cancer and pain medications). The breast is not yet suitable for surgery, which will be the next step in treatment.
What the funds will be used for:
We have been in this house for the last 15 years and want to stay here until Jared and I are finished with school in Blairstown, NJ. This is our home. Mom says the first item to be paid is the mortgage. Mom and Dad were able to do a modification with Wells Fargo but the monthly payment and other household expenses are more than our moms current income. Even with child support, there won’t be enough funds to pay the mortgage in full once all other expenses are paid.
Thankfully, we have Medicaid and NJ Family Care health insurance. So, medical bills and prescriptions are covered in NJ (except for her oncologist copay). In February of 2018, with the financial help of friends and even strangers, Mom went for a second opinion on treatment at The MD Anderson Cancer Center in Houston, TX. MD Anderson has been leading the way in pioneering inflammatory breast cancer. They are the first to know about any new medications and clinical trials that will help slow the progression of her cancer. MD Anderson suggested Mom follow-up every 6 months for evaluations and treatments. But, there is currently a hefty bill from her initial visit. Hopefully enough money will be raised to pay that bill and allow her to return to MD Anderson for treatment options. She was very concerned about asking for help and spending the money on that trip, but realized that her health is much more important than anything else!
We Are Grateful:
We want to thank everyone who have purchased or made so many delicious meals over the year. Mom has received care packages and thoughtful gifts from so many and is so grateful for the generosity of her friends and family. It all helps alleviate stress on our Mom.
We understand some people are unable to help us financially so if you can’t then please support us by sharing this page. Also, please go to www.theibcnetwork.org to learn more about Inflammatory Breast Cancer.
Jared and I ask that you all keep Mom in your thoughts and prayers. Your generosity will be forever appreciated by our whole family. THANK YOU!!
Who We Are:
I am Jake Friedman and 18 years old, I graduated high school this June and am attending a local community college in August. My brother Jared is 16 and will be a Junior in high school this year. Our dad, Douglas Friedman, is helping us with this GoFundMe page and we hope you will support us.
Mom and Dad have been divorced for 6 years. As a single mom, our Mom has always put us kids before herself with everything. Mom has been working from home for 14 years. She owns her own business selling promotional products. You can see what she does at www.yournextidea.com. The last few years the business has not been as profitable as in years past but our Mom must continue working. Dad just started a new job and will be moving about 2 hours away in the next couple of months.
About Our Mom:
Mom has reluctantly agreed for us to help with a GoFundMe page. She initially said no and didn’t want to share her story or her vulnerability and shatter her pride. She is very strong minded, brave and very independent so asking for help 15 months after diagnosis shows that the fight is getting harder for her.
At the end of January 2017, Mom was diagnosed with Inflammatory Breast Cancer (IBC), a rare and very aggressive form of breast cancer. Only 1-5% of breast cancers are this type of cancer. Mom immediately started IV chemotherapy. After one year of 4 different IV chemotherapy combinations, the cancer didn’t respond to the treatment. Unfortunately, the cancer spread. She is currently on a chemo pill twice a day called Verzenio (as well as other cancer and pain medications). The breast is not yet suitable for surgery, which will be the next step in treatment.
What the funds will be used for:
We have been in this house for the last 15 years and want to stay here until Jared and I are finished with school in Blairstown, NJ. This is our home. Mom says the first item to be paid is the mortgage. Mom and Dad were able to do a modification with Wells Fargo but the monthly payment and other household expenses are more than our moms current income. Even with child support, there won’t be enough funds to pay the mortgage in full once all other expenses are paid.
Thankfully, we have Medicaid and NJ Family Care health insurance. So, medical bills and prescriptions are covered in NJ (except for her oncologist copay). In February of 2018, with the financial help of friends and even strangers, Mom went for a second opinion on treatment at The MD Anderson Cancer Center in Houston, TX. MD Anderson has been leading the way in pioneering inflammatory breast cancer. They are the first to know about any new medications and clinical trials that will help slow the progression of her cancer. MD Anderson suggested Mom follow-up every 6 months for evaluations and treatments. But, there is currently a hefty bill from her initial visit. Hopefully enough money will be raised to pay that bill and allow her to return to MD Anderson for treatment options. She was very concerned about asking for help and spending the money on that trip, but realized that her health is much more important than anything else!
We Are Grateful:
We want to thank everyone who have purchased or made so many delicious meals over the year. Mom has received care packages and thoughtful gifts from so many and is so grateful for the generosity of her friends and family. It all helps alleviate stress on our Mom.
We understand some people are unable to help us financially so if you can’t then please support us by sharing this page. Also, please go to www.theibcnetwork.org to learn more about Inflammatory Breast Cancer.
Jared and I ask that you all keep Mom in your thoughts and prayers. Your generosity will be forever appreciated by our whole family. THANK YOU!!
Organizer
Jake and Jared for our Mom
Organizer
Blairstown, NJ
