Support for Julie's Breast Cancer Journey

Dear friends and family,

This is the kind of news that no one ever wants to have to share. On the week of American Thanksgiving, our wonderful, vivacious, talented, strong, healthy Julie was diagnosed with Triple Negative Stage 2 Breast Cancer.

She had felt a lump and had it checked out by a doctor quickly. After that, things moved at lightning speed. Within just over 2 weeks, she has had more appointments than we could count. This has included: mammograms, ultrasounds, MRIs, a biopsy of the lump, a biopsy of a lymph node, acupuncture, an echocardiogram and a CT scan in order to properly diagnose and formulate a plan for her treatment. While we are all thankful for the incredibly quick medical care, the mental, physical, and financial toll it has taken on Julie and her loved ones is immense.

Last week, she had surgery to receive a port to deliver her chemotherapy, and this past Monday (December 12th), Julie began chemo.

You may already know this, but 2023 was supposed to look a lot different for Julie. After moving into their new home earlier this year, Julie and Rusty were set to get married this spring and begin the next beautiful chapter of their lives together, with the dream of starting a family. Now, they will be navigating through a long road of chemotherapy followed by surgery and radiation. Her current treatment plan is to receive 3 hours of chemotherapy followed by hours of cryotherapy every Monday for the next 8 months. She is already facing this journey with incredible bravery and poise.

Because of the nature of who Julie is and the role she plays in the lives of those around her, we know that she will have the support she needs to win this battle. We’d be willing to say that every single person reading this has had their life impacted by Julie — whether you’ve been a fan of her music and had the privilege of watching her perform (and likely met her after a Twin Kennedy show and become friends) or have had the joy of her unwavering love and support in your daily life.

These past few weeks have been a whirlwind. Due to the speed of the diagnosis and treatment, we know that many people are finding out about Julie’s cancer all at once. Believe us, we are all still in the processing stage together. Because Julie’s community is amazing, we know the first thing people will say is, “How can we help?” This is why we started a GoFundMe.

It goes without saying, but Julie won’t be able to carry on with her work at the pace that she has been throughout her treatment and recovery. Julie is an exceptionally hard worker and is self-employed as a musician, writer, and music teacher. This forced slow-down combined with the additional costs of treatment and everything that goes along with it means that she needs our help to alleviate some of the financial stress and focus on healing. If you’re able to help financially, please consider donating through this GoFundMe. All money raised will go directly to them (and if you have any questions about that, don’t hesitate to reach out).

The funds raised on this platform will help cover: missed wages, treatment, medical supplies, groceries and meal prep, rehab/recovery, and other unforeseen expenses that may come up in response to Julie’s journey with cancer. If any funds are unneeded following a return to a more regular rhythm for Julie, we will provide an update as to where funds will be spent/donated.

We will also continue to update this page along the way, so feel free to come here often and check up on our girl. We also know that your words and prayers are an incredible comfort, so regardless of financial support, we encourage you to leave messages for Julie (there’s no such thing as too many!).