Hi everyone, my name is Tabbie. I am raising funds for my best friend, Sandra, to help with the cost of her cancer treatment and associated debt/bills.

I'll share with you a bit about her and her cancer journey to give you a better picture of my remarkable friend.

Sandra was diagnosed with stage three breast cancer on February 6th of 2023, after her OBGYN felt a lump during her yearly exam at the age of 22. Her first surgery, to place the chemo port into her chest, was only a week after the diagnosis. She then underwent 5 months of chemotherapy starting in early February, which made her extremely ill and unable to work. This put significant financial strain on her and her partner, DJ, both of whom are self-supporting young adults. After completion of her chemotherapy, she underwent a double mastectomy with lymph node removal and returned to working full-time only three weeks later. The exact words of her doctors were that "...if it had been found this a month later, it would have metastasized."

After completion of chemo, she began near-daily radiation for six months while still working her barista job. On the way home from one of her treatments, she and her partner were rear-ended, which totaled his car. Then, on her way to her pre-operative appointment for her breast reconstruction surgery in July of 2024, the engine on her 2015 Kia Soul overheated, totaling her car and causing her to miss her appointment. She was finally able to undergo reconstructive surgery in October of 2024 and, again, was already back to work only two weeks later.

Sandra was lucky enough to have insurance that covered the majority of her treatments and surgeries, with her outstanding medical debt being only a fraction of what it could have been without insurance. That brings us to today, and why I am asking for your help.

Recently, Sandra changed jobs and was completely unaware that there would be a month-long gap in her insurance coverage. That means that her doctor's appointments, monthly injection, and twice daily compounded medicine have become unaffordable. She has had to postpone some of her treatments while she applies for assistance from these pharmaceutical companies, but still has to pay for her appointments out-of-pocket.

The reason for this appeal is that my best friend has found a possible swollen lymph node. She has an appointment this week to talk with her doctor about next steps, which could include imaging and/or biopsy.

The money from this fundraiser will go towards whatever comes next for Sandra, whether that is further treatment or relieving the lingering financial stress of the last few years.

I met Sandra in February of 2024 after being hired at her job at Inner Circle Cafe, after which we became fast friends. I was, as I am sure all of you are, astonished at her strength, resilience, and tenacity in being able to cope with her cancer diagnosis and subsequent treatment. She truly is the strongest person I have ever met.

Please do whatever you can with this page, whether that be donating or sharing with the people in your life.

Thank you for reading,

Tabbie