Clare Van Santen’s Benefit Fund
Donation protected
The Van Santen family wishes to raise money for our beautiful sister Clare Van Santen who is 37 years old and has Stage 4 Metastatic Breast Cancer.
Clare first found out she had breast cancer at 28 years old, fifteen weeks pregnant with her fifth child. Clare had stage 2 breast cancer, it was contained in the ducts and had not spread to any lymph nodes. Clare did what she had to do for her babies, having a mastectomy at eighteen weeks pregnant and chemo while her son was growing inside of her. Clare continued chemo after the birth her son then went on to have hormone tablets for five years to help to keep the cancer at bay. Clare moved on with her life, cancer had been something she was proud to say she had and survived. Clare went back to school and studied to become a neonatal nurse, she will tell everyone “I love my job”!
In September 2013 in a preop scan (not cancer related) it was noticed that she had some lesions on her liver. A biopsy confirmed those lesions were cancer, there was also cancer in her shoulder bone. Clare was now Stage 4! Clare immediately started five months of chemo and she was on hormone therapy, which makes every joint in her body aches constantly.
On 14 February 2015 in front of Clare’s 14, 12 and 8 year old children she had a seizure. It was confirmed that the cancer had now spread to her brain, ten small tumours and two x 2cm tumours at either side of the top of her brain. She started whole brain radiation a week later and then an extra two radiation doses targeted at the two bigger tumours. The side effects from the radiation and all the meds are not nice, exhaustion, bloating, excessive sweating, shaking, muscle weakness, confusion, lack of concentration, irritability, losing her taste!
Clare is a single mum of five children, she is a wonderful mother a hero in our eyes. Clare is losing her independence, her children have to see her like this and her children having to deal with this. Being a single mother is not easy and it is not always a choice and having terminal cancer is even harder, both physically, emotionally and especially financially. Clare had to leave the job she loved and as a family and supporters we are doing everything we can to help her.
We have no idea how long Clare has left to live. The medication Clare is on will not always work, then she may need to try something else. She could have couple of months or a couple of years.... either one is not long enough!
Clare’s goals are now focussed on her family and their future. We would like to help her with the few things that she wants on her ‘bucket list’, to make as many memories as possible with her family. Through the 'Go Fund Me' page we hope to raise money for Clare and her children to financially support Clare so it will be one less thing she has to worry about. Attached is the following links to Clare’s Facebook group for more details on Clare’s story and bucket list: https://www.facebook.com/groups/262519337271540/
Please support where you can, if not financially please spread the word and share this with your friends and family.
The Van Santen family humbly thank you in advance for your gracious support.
Clare first found out she had breast cancer at 28 years old, fifteen weeks pregnant with her fifth child. Clare had stage 2 breast cancer, it was contained in the ducts and had not spread to any lymph nodes. Clare did what she had to do for her babies, having a mastectomy at eighteen weeks pregnant and chemo while her son was growing inside of her. Clare continued chemo after the birth her son then went on to have hormone tablets for five years to help to keep the cancer at bay. Clare moved on with her life, cancer had been something she was proud to say she had and survived. Clare went back to school and studied to become a neonatal nurse, she will tell everyone “I love my job”!
In September 2013 in a preop scan (not cancer related) it was noticed that she had some lesions on her liver. A biopsy confirmed those lesions were cancer, there was also cancer in her shoulder bone. Clare was now Stage 4! Clare immediately started five months of chemo and she was on hormone therapy, which makes every joint in her body aches constantly.
On 14 February 2015 in front of Clare’s 14, 12 and 8 year old children she had a seizure. It was confirmed that the cancer had now spread to her brain, ten small tumours and two x 2cm tumours at either side of the top of her brain. She started whole brain radiation a week later and then an extra two radiation doses targeted at the two bigger tumours. The side effects from the radiation and all the meds are not nice, exhaustion, bloating, excessive sweating, shaking, muscle weakness, confusion, lack of concentration, irritability, losing her taste!
Clare is a single mum of five children, she is a wonderful mother a hero in our eyes. Clare is losing her independence, her children have to see her like this and her children having to deal with this. Being a single mother is not easy and it is not always a choice and having terminal cancer is even harder, both physically, emotionally and especially financially. Clare had to leave the job she loved and as a family and supporters we are doing everything we can to help her.
We have no idea how long Clare has left to live. The medication Clare is on will not always work, then she may need to try something else. She could have couple of months or a couple of years.... either one is not long enough!
Clare’s goals are now focussed on her family and their future. We would like to help her with the few things that she wants on her ‘bucket list’, to make as many memories as possible with her family. Through the 'Go Fund Me' page we hope to raise money for Clare and her children to financially support Clare so it will be one less thing she has to worry about. Attached is the following links to Clare’s Facebook group for more details on Clare’s story and bucket list: https://www.facebook.com/groups/262519337271540/
Please support where you can, if not financially please spread the word and share this with your friends and family.
The Van Santen family humbly thank you in advance for your gracious support.
Organizer
Rachel Van Santen
Organizer
Bennett Springs WA
