Stand with Jessica in Her Health Battle

Hey all, Jessica here. You might know me from work, maybe from college or from way before that in Pennsylvania. I’m a proud member of Teamsters Local 399 working as a Key Assistant Location Manager in the television and film industry.

On May 31st, I was diagnosed with lung cancer and this has turned everything in my life upside down. I already live with systemic scleroderma, an autoimmune disease that affects the skin and connective tissue of the body. In my case, I also have an interstitial lung disease known as pulmonary fibrosis (scarring in my lungs). Lung cancer on top of an already existing lung disease will prove challenging to treat. The cancer is located in my lower right lobe, the same area where most of the fibrosis is, and this will make surgery tricky. To make sure they get all the cancer, my surgeon may have to remove my entire lower right lobe.

This diagnosis comes on the heels of what might be the most difficult year of my life. The dual entertainment industry strikes of 2023 forced me to give up my apartment and move to Florida for six months to live with my dad. I returned to Los Angeles this past spring to get back to work and restart my life here. However, finding stable work has been challenging, as the industry is still recovering and jobs are few and far between. I’d been subletting a room and as that comes to an end, finding housing is also proving to be a challenge. What I want most is my own place again - a calm retreat where I can heal, with my sweet cat Lola Bean by my side.

The emotional and financial strain of the whole situation has been completely overwhelming. Thanks to my union I have wonderful health insurance and I’m so thankful. That seems like the one thing I haven’t stressed about.

If you know anything about me, you know that asking for help is difficult for me. However, I know that I have a strong community of friends around me, and if there’s ever a time to ask for help, that time for me is now. A few friends are helping me set up this GoFundMe account to cover daily living expenses while I’m unable to work, housing costs, and any non-covered medical expenses. My goal is to raise $20,000. I hope that this will allow me to prove to a future landlord that I’m able to pay rent for an apartment, even though I won't be able to work for some time. I'll be on a disability claim, but that's not enough for a move and everything that comes with that.

Any contribution, big or small, will make a huge difference.

Thanks for taking the time to read this far. Your support, whether through donations or sharing this campaign, is very appreciated.

If you feel more comfortable and would rather not use this platform, you can find me on Zelle at peatunia at gmail.com or Venmo @Peatunia.

I plan to share updates here as well. If you have any questions or words of encouragement, please reach out to me. Thank you, friends.