Hello Lovelies,

For those of you who don’t know me, my name is Heather Rippert. I am a visual artist living in Clearwater, Florida. In June of 2023, I was diagnosed with breast cancer. Five days after my diagnosis, my mom passed away at home in hospice care. Needless to say, it was the worst time of my life.

My approach to treatment was twofold, utilizing a combination conventional medicine combined with many wholistic methods. I worked with my oncologist at Florida Cancer Specialists where I received a year of immunotherapy treatments every three weeks. I made dramatic lifestyle changes that were informed by time spent at Hippocrates Wellness Institute and reading multiple books to discover various ways to boost my immune system and so much more. After a year, the cancer in my right breast had shrunk from 7cm to 1.5cm and I had a lumpectomy. Clear margins were had and there was no cancer in my lymph nodes.

One year later, I had a very small recurrence in my right breast at the site of the lumpectomy.

I was very clear that I was not interested in continuing with all these scans and biopsies every few months and the “scanxiety” that accompanies that. I was a hundred percent clear that I wanted a bilateral mastectomy and that I wanted to go flat. It is very personal decision to go flat without reconstruction and it is/was the best decision for me.

I had the bilateral mastectomy on August 14, 2025. Unfortunately the surgical results are horrific and even more unfortunate is that this is a common occurrence and that being left with disfiguring results is standard of care. I had no idea that I needed to ask for aesthetic flat closure (AFC) with mastectomy. I was left with two choices. Either living with being disfigured or get another surgery. Revision surgery is the process to achieve aesthetic flat closure the should have happened with my mastectomy.

I’m scheduled for revision surgery on December 9th. I am losing two weeks of paid employment as I’m completely out of vacation pay from previous medical issues. In addition to that, I will no longer be able to afford health insurance in 2026 without the tax credits from the affordable care act (ACA-Obamacare). Therefore all my care come January first will be out of pocket, which includes follow ups with my surgeon, breast prosthetics and bras to hold them (these are covered by insurance but I can’t be fitted for them until 2-3 months post surgery-putting us well into 2026). If you are able to help, I so appreciate it.

There are many ways you can help me to be able to pay my bills while I recover and out of pocket medical expenses, if you are able.

Buy art from me. Visit my website www.heatherrippert.com

Donate to this GoFundMe.

If you aren’t comfortable using the GoFundMe platform, Venmo me @Heather-Rippert

Last 4 digits of my phone number are 3429 if asked.

Mail a check to me (message me for address-I’m not allowed to include in the GoFundMe)

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I deeply appreciate your support and help. Any amount helps. With all my heart, thank you.