Brittany’s Battle

The manual for composing a ‘Go Fund Me’ description because your best friend has stage IV metastatic breast cancer doesn’t exist. While I’m the one writing this it’s a reality so many people share right now. That’s because Brittany Rae (Fink) Graves is one of those best friends who has a bunch of people who call her theirs. She is giving, empathetic, and oh so kind. Her steadfast love for her people is profound, and her spirit as strong as her convictions. The community of people who love her is a testament to all that she is, and she needs us now.

We got calls last spring expecting to hear about her son Arleigh’s milestones or about Brittany’s teaching shenanigans only to have our worlds crumble as Brittany bravely told us that she had breast cancer. She reassured us that it was treatable and that she and her medical team were going to be aggressive. Now, I have always admired B for her stubbornness - her no holds barred way of sticking to her guns and fighting (like she did for the OG Grasshopper Pie recipe to stay on the Zesty’s flavor forecast or for homecoming to come back to De Pere High), so I knew she’d fight like hell. This, however, was going to be the biggest fight of all.

B was so positive that we were all so optimistic; she went through chemotherapy, a mastectomy, and all of the accompanying pain and strife while raising a toddler and making sure those around her were in high spirits (in true Brittany form-always looking out for others).

In January, shortly before her 31st birthday, Brittany went back in for scans after a fever prompted her to get checked out. Scans showed spots consistent with metastasis on her lungs, near her collarbone, and in her armpit. A biopsy came back positive; Brittany has stage 4 metastatic breast cancer.

She’s in a long, grueling fight for her life. She’ll always carry the burden of stage 4, so it’s our burden to shoulder with her. As she begins new regimens of chemo, the Graves family is in need of financial support while Brittany fights.

So if you pray, pray. If you vibe, vibe. If you send love, send it. If you’ve got a miracle, she needs it. If you can donate, please do.

We believe Brittany will show the doctors that life expectancies are arbitrary. Please believe it with us.

For Brittany. For everything she’s given all of us. For she has made us all better - as a wife, a mother, a sister, a daughter, and all of our best friend.