Help Dana Battle Breast Cancer

I don’t want this to be just another GoFundMe page, I also want this to be a love letter to my big sister. My sister Dana’s cancer Journey started January 10th, 2023, after she opted for the 3D mammogram for the first time. For 25 years of only doing the 2D due to insurance not covering the 3D, she decided this year she was just going to pay the extra and get the 3D done. I am so thankful she did! After the mammogram, it was a whirlwind with biopsies, MRI's and Drs. appointments. She finally sat down with her Dr. on January 27th and her life changed forever, Invasive Ductal Carcinoma Breast Cancer. Double mastectomy, 2nd surgery, chemo, radiation, hormone therapy…the worst day of her life. She then had a long wait to see the stage and treatment plan, all the while going back and forth from Battle Creek to Ann Arbor. Dana has chosen to go to U of M hospital to receive the best care possible for her cancer. She knows that doing so will cause extra burdens financially on her household but after lots of research, and knowing the way her cancer diagnosis has changed over time, she is very thankful she made the choice she did. Anyone would choose the best care when it comes to their life, and she is in excellent hands. We can talk all day about how this cancer has created hardships on not only her but also her loving girls and her partner Bunky. He has selflessly been by her side through all this taking time off from his job knowing he can’t use FMLA because of the fact they are not married. But yet he has been by her side, losing sleep and finances as well. No one asks to have cancer, no one wants to suffer emotionally, physically, mentally, or financially and yet in this situation there is no choice. It's either fight like crazy to live or sit still and do nothing and my sister has chosen life and to fight and she has done it with grace and positivity. Dana did not want me to make her this page. She is actually reluctant because she is a hard worker and a giver, and it is hard for her to ask for help in this way. I understand this, but I told her sometimes things are worth asking for and this is one of those times. She deserves the best treatments and the best chance at life. It has been hard to put into words all that I want to say about or to my sister. On the outside looking in, it's heartbreaking and you feel helpless. This is my big sister going through the worst thing in her life and I can’t do anything to help her but try and be there for her and maybe just maybe lighten the burden a little bit. It doesn’t take away the suffering or the worrying, but it does maybe take away the stresses of the financial burdens that have been placed on her family. My sister has a long road to recovery, but she is strong, and I know she will overcome whatever is thrown her way. But, unfortunately, financially this could and will haunt her for years if she doesn’t find a way to cover the expenses. I understand that everyone has a little bit less in their paychecks right now but anything anyone can do to help my sister have some peace of mind and a little less stress would be such a blessing to our family. High out of pocket insurance deductibles for 2023 and 2024, gas back and forth several times per week to Ann Arbor and lost wages due to not being able to work are just some of the financial burdens that she is facing. Thank you all so much for take the time to visit her page