Donation protected
I am starting this gofundme campaign for my best friend Brittany Mankinen and this is the story of why.
The beginning of July 2018, Brittany found a lump on her right breast. She made an appointment to have it checked and was scheduled for a mamogram. Following the mamogram, she found in the doctor's notes that there was what's called a BI-RADS test performed. The test rates masses like these on a scale from 0-6 with 6 being positive for cancer... the lump was rated at a 5, giving it a 95% chance of being malignant.
A few days later came her biopsy and on July 13, 2018 she was diagnosed with breast cancer at the age of 28. She just had her first surgery on July 31, 2018, one day before her 29th birthday.
The doctors removed the tumor
but, unfortunately, it was also discovered that she has a gene mutation that will require her to have another surgery in 3 months. This upcoming one will be a double mastectomy with reconstructive surgery.
This surgery will be very hard on her body because as they remove her breasts they will be replacing them with tissue from her abdomen. She will be in the ICU for two days and in the hospital for 7.
As of right now, she is not 100% sure what the next step is... she meets with her oncologist in the coming weeks of August to discuss the results of the biopsy. The treatment plan of chemotherapy or radiation will be decided and the course begun.
Brittany has recently moved from Oregon to California to pursue her career with hopes of being a speech pathologist. This big change is intimidating by itself, but combined with a cancer diagnosis it's hard to imagine the level of stress she must be feeling.
I'm hoping that this campaign can raise enough money to be able to provide for her expenses while she tries to beat this cancer. There will be time when she is recovering that she won't be able to work, and the cost of living will not stop while she will be forced to.
With the medical costs that are coming, life will only get more expensive for her and I'm asking for your help so that she won't become another bankruptcy statistic because of something so cruel and outside of any control.
If you're not able to donate please contribute in another way by sharing this story. Thank you for reading.
The beginning of July 2018, Brittany found a lump on her right breast. She made an appointment to have it checked and was scheduled for a mamogram. Following the mamogram, she found in the doctor's notes that there was what's called a BI-RADS test performed. The test rates masses like these on a scale from 0-6 with 6 being positive for cancer... the lump was rated at a 5, giving it a 95% chance of being malignant.
A few days later came her biopsy and on July 13, 2018 she was diagnosed with breast cancer at the age of 28. She just had her first surgery on July 31, 2018, one day before her 29th birthday.
The doctors removed the tumor
but, unfortunately, it was also discovered that she has a gene mutation that will require her to have another surgery in 3 months. This upcoming one will be a double mastectomy with reconstructive surgery.
This surgery will be very hard on her body because as they remove her breasts they will be replacing them with tissue from her abdomen. She will be in the ICU for two days and in the hospital for 7.
As of right now, she is not 100% sure what the next step is... she meets with her oncologist in the coming weeks of August to discuss the results of the biopsy. The treatment plan of chemotherapy or radiation will be decided and the course begun.
Brittany has recently moved from Oregon to California to pursue her career with hopes of being a speech pathologist. This big change is intimidating by itself, but combined with a cancer diagnosis it's hard to imagine the level of stress she must be feeling.
I'm hoping that this campaign can raise enough money to be able to provide for her expenses while she tries to beat this cancer. There will be time when she is recovering that she won't be able to work, and the cost of living will not stop while she will be forced to.
With the medical costs that are coming, life will only get more expensive for her and I'm asking for your help so that she won't become another bankruptcy statistic because of something so cruel and outside of any control.
If you're not able to donate please contribute in another way by sharing this story. Thank you for reading.
Organizer and beneficiary
Destiny Graham
Organizer
Salem, OR
Brittany Mankinen
Beneficiary