Alyssa's Breast Cancer Fight Fund
On July 10, 2020 - My sister and best friend, Alyssa Moreno, was diagnosed with invasive ductal carcinoma. Although this is one of the most common type of cancer for women, only 5% of breast cancer patients are under 40 - Alyssa is 29 years old.
On August 25, 2020 - Alyssa met with her oncologist to go over results from additional tests ordered after her initial diagnoses. She was informed that a 13mm lesion was found on her liver, possibly indicating the cancer has metastasized and spread to other parts of her body. We’re hoping this isn’t the case, but if it is she’d likely be at stage 4, instead of stage 1-2 as previously thought.
On September 18, 2020 - Alyssa is scheduled for her first surgery, where the cancerous tumor (and possibly both breasts) will be removed. She’ll be in recovery for a few weeks and is likely to need chemotherapy and possibly radiation. There are still many unknowns and outcomes that are dependent on different factors, so as we receive more information we'll have a better understanding of her condition.
As we all know, this is no understatement - Alyssa LOVES being outdoors and thrives being surrounded in nature. Throughout this process, her body will be going through major changes, limiting her mobility until she can make a full recovery. She’ll likely spend more time indoors to recover and protect her health, keeping her from doing what she loves the most. We have no doubt that she’ll overcome, regain her strength, and be ready for more adventure. Until then, we'd love for her to enjoy a little more outdoor adventure with her loved ones, before she won't be able to for some time.
Our goal is to raise $5000 for Alyssa and her friends to go all out and have a fun filled adventure in Big Bear, CA. We want her to enjoy as many activities as she wants to her heart’s content. Alyssa always keeps it simple, and could literally live out of a tent and fall asleep anywhere - but this time we’d like her to experience something a little more luxurious, in a cabin high in the mountains with beautiful views! She rarely asks for anything, so why not spoil her during this trip?! Anything left over will be given to Alyssa to cover expenses that will help make her journey a little more comfortable.
What the cost will cover:
Lodging for 2-3 nights, food, and activities like jet skiing, zip lining, off roading, team building, obstacle courses, and more. We’d like a space large enough to accommodate everyone (10-20) to maintain a safe social distance. Ideally we’d like to have all our guests covid tested prior to the trip, but in case some are unable to or don’t receive results in time, we’d still like to give them the opportunity to come while maintaining a safe distance.
Alyssa would appreciate any donation - monetary or not, simply reaching out and offering support or kind words means so much! We're so thankful for the amount of support she's already received. So even if you're unable to donate, we still thank everyone for their continued support!
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A little bit about Alyssa -
Anyone who knows Alyssa, knows that she’s an incredibly gifted, multitalented, hardcore, extremely smart (sometimes hilariously absentminded), absolute badass that loves adventure and being outdoors - and if there’s ever a zombie apocalypse, you’d probably want to be on her team. She’s a seasoned backpacker who’s lived and worked amongst the trees, blazing trails in the California backcountry.
In early 2014, Alyssa left home and joined the California Conservation Corps to do trail work in the remote backcountry of the Trinity Alps Wilderness. She left with a group of 15 people she’d never met in her life. She worked hard, traveled miles on foot every day with a heavy pack of tools on her back, just to reach the site where her daily work would actually begin. She endured extreme weather, built makeshift shelters, slept in rain storms, bathed and washed her clothes in an ice cold creek, moved boulders, crushed them into rocks with her own strength, hiked over 100 miles in 9 days, but always got back up. She’d given her blood, sweat, and tears to help share and protect our natural home.
She did this for 6 months straight - living outside with no running water, electricity, electronics, or phones. She did however, have her guitar, and a little MP3 player loaded with her favorite music that she’d listen to under the stars. No wifi or endless scrolling, and no googling for life’s answers. Although the work was grueling, the ability to truly unplug while being surrounded in nature was worth it all. The only way to reach her was through mail that was delivered by pack mules that traveled through the mountains. We'd write each other letters knowing that by the time it was received, weeks had already gone by. Throughout her journey, she bonded with the strangers who quickly became family, and experienced what team work really meant. This journey kindled her profound love and appreciation for the natural world. Alyssa said it was the hardest, most rewarding, life changing experience she’d ever had.
After her life in the backcountry, Alyssa was looking forward to coming back to basic comforts we sometimes take for granted. It was actually a lot harder for her to readjust to “normal” life than she thought. She found herself bothered by things that she had never noticed before; she felt trapped indoors. Artificial lighting and stark shadows casted on walls looked strange. She slept outside on our apartment balcony for weeks to ease back into civilized life. She struggled with this for a while, but eventually found balance between modern life and nature, and appreciates the comforts of both - but now knows she’d definitely rather be outside!
In 2016 Alyssa also worked with the Rocky Mountain Youth Corps and built trails at 12,000 feet on Mt. Columbia, one of Colorado’s 58 “fourteeners.” Today, though she might not live in the wilderness, she’s found a passion in restoring and maintaining our local natural habits as a Restoration Technician II for a non profit organization in Laguna Canyon. She's been working with the organization for almost 2 years now, and can truly say she loves her job. She still continues to give it her all. She still gets her hands dirty, continues to rough it and work outside nearly everyday. She gets dirt, dust, and mud in her car, and sometimes comes home covered from head to toe. Literally “bringing work home”, complete with pockets full of twigs and leaves, that drives me crazy when they end up in the washer and dryer (but not really, because she's the BEST roommate ever). After a long day of work outside and bringing it home, you’d think she’d want a break from the outdoors, but no - this wild woman still finds the time to go jogging for 2-4 miles after work.
Recently, Alyssa’s picked up a new hobby (one of many) and became an avid, hardcore bird nerd. So on the weekends, she’ll STILL wake up early, get ready, grab her backpack, camera, and notebook - then she’s off to explore, observe, and capture little glimpses into the lives of today’s tiny dinosaurs (if you haven’t seen her National Geographic worthy photography, it’s definitely worth checking out.) She even set up a small bird bath, hummingbird feeder, and seed balls in our backyard, inviting her flying friends to kick it. She’s a true nature lover at heart, that stays active with her seriously adventurous hobbies. She runs road races every year, goes snowboarding religiously, has done several mud runs, loves surfing, goes rock climbing, mountain biking, gone skydiving, sand boarding, played inline hockey, and even joined the women’s rugby team in college.
She’s also a multi-instrumentalist that loves mastering covers of her favorite artists. She’ll zone in with a laser focus, and practice the same riff on the bass hundreds of times ‘till she nails Thundercat’s funky technique. She gets down on the drums too, playing for hours 'till she syncs with every hit of Tame Impala tracks. Honestly, hearing it over and over isn’t always exactly fun (stuck in my head for days!) but I always celebrated when she got it! Oh, and did I mention? She’s also super artistic; she’s a photographer, illustrator, and she’s a pretty good graphic designer! She's great at fixing things, and she’s a mean cook in the kitchen too! I think it’s safe to say Alyssa is unstoppable.
Alyssa has endured a complicated medical history for most of her life that still requires treatment today. On top of her recent diagnoses, she’s been diagnosed with several extremely rare diseases beginning at 11 years old, she’s been in and out of the hospital and has had multiple major surgeries and struggled with depression and anxiety, but has found balance. She often surprises her doctors with her understanding of medicine, and has always teetered with pursuing a career in medicine. We’ve joked about it and I’ve started calling her “Dr. Patient.”
Up to this point, despite everything she’s gone through, she still maintains a positive attitude. Even after a recent breakup (with her unsupportive boyfriend of 2 years who bailed shortly after her diagnosis), she still goes birding, goes for a run, and lately she’s been doing OT in the kitchen trying to perfect her taiyaki recipe! She’s literally persevered through it all, and never let anything stop her from thriving in life. She’s truly embodied the mantra she now lives by, “Grow through what you go through”.
I’ve witnessed her personal growth and transformation into the amazing, remarkably strong, and beautiful person she is today. She’s one of the toughest, most independent women I know - with a surprisingly softer side that’s gentle, shy, super sweet, loves gardening, flowers, puppies, and will squee at all things cute, and cuddly (yet still not one to be messed with!).
If you get to know her, you’d find a rare soul, that’s honest, righteous, kind, so patient, and compassionate. You’d see the strength and integrity of her core. She stands her ground, doesn’t back down, and always stands up for what she believes. She’s not one to complain, doesn’t ask for much, and rarely gives herself the credit she deserves. She’s kind to everyone she meets, and shows her love and care for family and friends in many different ways. She’s always been there for me, and stood by my side through the worst and the best of times. Even in this seemingly endless time of uncertainty, she gracefully handles her struggles and keeps moving forward to enjoy life. One thing I know for sure, is the undeniable fact that Alyssa is an incredible human being. I can't even begin to tell you how awesome she is, I could go on and on forever. She truly is one of a kind. When life gives her lemons, she makes the most delicious lemonade ever.
In light of her diagnosis, and the current state of the world on this roller coaster called 2020, she’s received an overwhelming amount of love and support from friends, family, and complete strangers! This has had a profound effect on her, and has really been lifting her spirits. We’re so thankful and appreciative of everyone’s continued love, support, and kindness. It's been a great reminder that there are always good people around you, and we will always find each other.
