Katrina's Cancer Treatment Fund
Donation protected
Dear Friends and Family,
We are setting up this page to show support of our amazing, beautiful friend and fellow single momma, Katrina Johnson, to raise funds to help her kick cancer for a 3rd time! Yes, you read that right. 3rd TIME. :-( 42 year old Katrina, mommy to 9-year old Kaelyn and 7-year old Gavin, was diagnosed in 2002 at 28 years old with breast cancer. She underwent a double masectomy followed by chemotherapy and radiation. Between 2002 and 2015, she gave birth to K&G and also found out she has is BRCA 1 Triple Negative. Women with this gene have a 70-80% of breast cancer in their lifetime and over a 50% chance of ovarian cancer. Katrina is the model of good health - she eats organic (mostly vegetarian), rarely drinks, is an active yogi, and practices early detection by going in for ultrasounds/scans every 3 months. Katrina is definately a survivor and a go-getter who lives her life with passion and grace - what a tremendous role model for her children!
A little over a year ago, she found a lump in her other breast and quickly met with her team of doctors here in Chicago and decided to travel to Mayo Clinic in Rochester, MN for her treatment. They removed the 4mm lesion with wide breast tissue margins and the follow up scans showed they took out everything and she was cancer free. While not widley known, she chose to keep the second recurrance a little more private for the sake of her children and did not take radiation due the confidence of the cancer team that everything was removed. In August 2015, she was recongized as the guest of honor at the 4th Annual Breast Cancer Chicago Fundraising Gala and gave a personal tribute of her journey and helped raise more than $20K in research funding.
On Tuesday evening May 10th, she found another lump in her right breast and sought immediate care. Thankfully, she was able to undergo surgery on Thursday, May 12th and they removed a 6mm lesion. Only 4 hours post surgery, Katrina boarded a plane for Los Angeles to meet her mother, Ruby, (also a breast cancer survivor) to be a part of an early clinical trial through Cynvenio that hopes to dramatically diminish breast cancer fatality by being able to diagnose breasat cancer from a patient blood draw! Imagine that, no more waiting for lumps to appear, which could be 1-5 years of growth and a later stage diagnosis.
While she is advocating and helping reasearchers erridicate cancer, she is now facing breast cancer for the 3rd time. Katrina was told that tissue that was removed was, unfortunately, cancerous. She had a petscan and an MRI last week and her doctors beleive that the cancer is isolated to the breast tissue only, thankfully. Today, May 31st, she had surgery to extract addition breast tissue and to establish a port for her chemothearpy. Her Chemo treatment will begin Thursday, June 2nd and will involve 4 cycles, then radiation.
While Katrina is so fortunate to have exceptional medical insurance through her employer, Pfizer, there are many expenses that are not covered. She just finished paying off the Mayo Clinic medical expenses from last year and now will be facing significant expenses associating with this cancer diagnosis, which will include chemotherapy treatment, travel and 12 week medical leave to recover. Any cancer diagnosis is a huge emotional and finanical challenge, but being a single mom makes it even more challenging. Anyone that knows Katrina is in awe over her passion for life, breast cancer awareness and the many hats she juggles with a smile and a Texas-sized heart. It would be really appreciated if you could say a prayer and/or make any sized donation. Also, for northern suburb Chicago friends, drop off a meal or an offer to drive would mean the world! Please help support our girl through this journey even if that simply means sharing her story to your friends on facebook.
With Love and Appreication,
Tracey Halama and Dawn Olhava
We are setting up this page to show support of our amazing, beautiful friend and fellow single momma, Katrina Johnson, to raise funds to help her kick cancer for a 3rd time! Yes, you read that right. 3rd TIME. :-( 42 year old Katrina, mommy to 9-year old Kaelyn and 7-year old Gavin, was diagnosed in 2002 at 28 years old with breast cancer. She underwent a double masectomy followed by chemotherapy and radiation. Between 2002 and 2015, she gave birth to K&G and also found out she has is BRCA 1 Triple Negative. Women with this gene have a 70-80% of breast cancer in their lifetime and over a 50% chance of ovarian cancer. Katrina is the model of good health - she eats organic (mostly vegetarian), rarely drinks, is an active yogi, and practices early detection by going in for ultrasounds/scans every 3 months. Katrina is definately a survivor and a go-getter who lives her life with passion and grace - what a tremendous role model for her children!
A little over a year ago, she found a lump in her other breast and quickly met with her team of doctors here in Chicago and decided to travel to Mayo Clinic in Rochester, MN for her treatment. They removed the 4mm lesion with wide breast tissue margins and the follow up scans showed they took out everything and she was cancer free. While not widley known, she chose to keep the second recurrance a little more private for the sake of her children and did not take radiation due the confidence of the cancer team that everything was removed. In August 2015, she was recongized as the guest of honor at the 4th Annual Breast Cancer Chicago Fundraising Gala and gave a personal tribute of her journey and helped raise more than $20K in research funding.
On Tuesday evening May 10th, she found another lump in her right breast and sought immediate care. Thankfully, she was able to undergo surgery on Thursday, May 12th and they removed a 6mm lesion. Only 4 hours post surgery, Katrina boarded a plane for Los Angeles to meet her mother, Ruby, (also a breast cancer survivor) to be a part of an early clinical trial through Cynvenio that hopes to dramatically diminish breast cancer fatality by being able to diagnose breasat cancer from a patient blood draw! Imagine that, no more waiting for lumps to appear, which could be 1-5 years of growth and a later stage diagnosis.
While she is advocating and helping reasearchers erridicate cancer, she is now facing breast cancer for the 3rd time. Katrina was told that tissue that was removed was, unfortunately, cancerous. She had a petscan and an MRI last week and her doctors beleive that the cancer is isolated to the breast tissue only, thankfully. Today, May 31st, she had surgery to extract addition breast tissue and to establish a port for her chemothearpy. Her Chemo treatment will begin Thursday, June 2nd and will involve 4 cycles, then radiation.
While Katrina is so fortunate to have exceptional medical insurance through her employer, Pfizer, there are many expenses that are not covered. She just finished paying off the Mayo Clinic medical expenses from last year and now will be facing significant expenses associating with this cancer diagnosis, which will include chemotherapy treatment, travel and 12 week medical leave to recover. Any cancer diagnosis is a huge emotional and finanical challenge, but being a single mom makes it even more challenging. Anyone that knows Katrina is in awe over her passion for life, breast cancer awareness and the many hats she juggles with a smile and a Texas-sized heart. It would be really appreciated if you could say a prayer and/or make any sized donation. Also, for northern suburb Chicago friends, drop off a meal or an offer to drive would mean the world! Please help support our girl through this journey even if that simply means sharing her story to your friends on facebook.
With Love and Appreication,
Tracey Halama and Dawn Olhava
Organizer and beneficiary
Tracey Warner Halama
Organizer
Lake Zurich, IL
Katrina Johnson
Beneficiary
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