Support Alissa's Fight Against Inflammatory Breast Cancer

Alissa is a daughter, wife, and an amazing mother of 3. She is strong, a hard worker, a joy to be around, and someone you can always talk to. Sixteen years ago, Alissa beat lymphoma. Unfortunately, at the end of 2024, Alissa was diagnosed with stage 4 inflammatory breast cancer. Her symptoms and diagnosis came on extremely quickly. Inflammatory breast cancer is unique in that it attacks the breast and skin and moves quickly into the lymphatic system as opposed to forming a traditional mass or lump. This often delays diagnosis and treatment as it is frequently confused with mastitis, as it was in Alissa's case, as she had just had a clear mammogram in August. From the onset of her symptoms in September, by November, the cancer had spread from her breast into the bone throughout her body. Alissa began chemotherapy in January; however, due to her prior battle with cancer, doctors have had to take different approaches to her treatments and medication. Alissa will have around six rounds of chemotherapy, 3 weeks apart. After chemotherapy, the doctors will give her body a break, and then she will have a Mastectomy. Hoping her body continues to respond well, a few months following, she will begin radiation therapy 5 times a week for 1-2 months. This is Alissa's current treatment plan, which can change at any time based on how her body reacts to treatments. If all goes well, she hopes for surgical reconstruction in about 2 years. Doctors see only a few of these cases a year. Inflammatory breast cancer is a very rare cancer; only about 1%-5% of all breast cancers are IBC. Research and studies are still being done to learn about and fight this cancer. Alissa is being treated by a wonderful team at MD Anderson in Jacksonville, so she has access to some of the best care in the world. She has opted to be a part of their national registry of IBC patients in the hope of contributing to their research of treatments and a potential cure.

We ask for prayers, miraculous healing, and support for Alissa, her husband Justin, and three children: Trenton, Taylor, and Taryn. During this diagnosis, Justin and Alissa were blessed to have both of their daughters engaged to wonderful men who are supporting them through this difficult time. We pray for Alissa to feel as strong and healthy as she can during and after her treatments so she may enjoy celebrating this special time with her daughters.

This will be a hard battle; please consider financially supporting Alissa and her family during this time. There are significant immediate, short-term, and long-term expenses they will have to deal with as they fight this. A one-time donation or an ongoing donation is very appreciated during this life-changing diagnosis for the Ashburn family.