#MaddyStrong

Hi, my name is Kaitlin, and I’m fundraising for my sister Maddy. I’d love for you to take the time to read this to understand why I’m hoping we can help Maddy during an especially devastating and challenging time.

Many of you likely know that Maddy has battled cancer over and over and over. More than anyone should have to. What you may not know yet is that following surgery in late May to remove what we thought was just a benign cyst that had been growing for over a year, we found out last week she has another battle ahead of her.

She was diagnosed with cancer for the SEVENTH time. It’s hard to comprehend how someone who is not even 30 years old yet could have cancer seven (7!!!!!) times, but this is her reality. It’s far from fair and she’s understandably having a hard time right now. And although she’s already fought cancer six times before, this time is different for a few reasons.

1. It’s not lymphoma this time. Initially she was told it was Basal cell carcinoma, but after a second pathologist reviewed it and she met with a top surgeon Wednesday, she was told it’s either Adenocarcinoma or Microcystic adnexal carcinoma. The exact course of treatment is still yet to be determined. She needs more testing and another surgery in the next couple of weeks to start. This time the surgeon will have to clear the margins to make sure they got it all, and there are certain risks given the tumor’s location.

2. She’s in her late 20s now so she has real life adult responsibilities that she didn’t have to worry about when she was battling cancer before. She bought her first home last year, and has a mortgage for the first time in her life. She’s on her own insurance, not my parents, so she is paying her own medical bills and is figuring out about her out of pocket maximums and all that comes with that.

3. She very recently started a new job (ironically at Dana-Farber) so she has ZERO vacation time or personal days to use at this time because she is still inside the 90-day probation employment period. She already has taken multiple unpaid days, first for the surgery in May and in the past week for appointments with oncologists, surgeons and to get a PET scan. With another surgery quickly approaching still inside her first 90-days of employment, she’ll have to take more unpaid days off.

The last thing I want for Maddy while she’s in another fight for her life is to have to stress about money. She needs to give everything she has to defeating cancer again, and I know she will because she’s the bravest person I’ve ever known. But she’s had to deal with more than anyone should have to in 10 lifetimes. It’s been a lifetime of trauma for her, starting when she was just 4 years old, and continuing to today.

The thing is, we don’t “get over” or “move on”

from trauma. Maddy has been forced to carry it with her. She’s learned to live with it. And I’d say she’s even found ways to thrive in spite of it. But it’s there to a degree that none of us can even begin to understand.

Because even in times of trauma, she’s tried to maintain a sense of normality until she no longer could. That’s surviving. She’s a survivor. And even though she’s been through hell and back, she’s still standing because she’s a warrior.

So if you are able, please help #MaddyStrong. And no matter what, please add her to your prayers. She could use all of the positive vibes out there. Thank you!!