Bethany vs Cancer, Vol. 2: The Chemo Wars

Hello friends, family, and beloveds! I am Miles, sibling of Bethany, and I have started this GoFundMe because, quite frankly, Bethany really needs your help -- and since she'd be the last person to ever ask for it, I am doing it for her.

What's Going On?

As you probably know, Bethany was diagnosed with stage IV colorectal cancer last fall at age 41, and the road since has been bumpy to say the least.

With the help and support of friends, Bethany was able to start treatment almost immediately after diagnosis (thank you all for that!), and after months of chemo and radiation, things were starting to look good. She made it through surgery in June to have her main tumor removed, and the doctors were really pleased with how that went! Despite a really rough recovery (including a second emergency surgery not long after the first), Bethany bounced back beautifully and it seemed like she was almost out of the woods.

However, her most recent post-surgery scan revealed that, since stopping radiation for a few months in order to have surgery, the handful of spots she had had in her lungs back in the fall -- which had been nearly eradicated through chemo -- have not only reappeared, but are larger than they were before, and greater in number.

Needless to say this is not the news we were hoping for, and has been difficult for us both.

Because of this development, instead of a final surgery and what was supposed to be a quick radiation treatment of the previously small lung spots (and hopefully smooth sailing for awhile after that), Bethany is now slated to start chemo again at the end of the month.

This is not only (of course) scary, and emotionally overwhelming for everyone, but financially it's a roadblock that, at this point, will be next to impossible to overcome without help.

How Can You Help?

My sister is the hardest working person I have ever met -- throughout her entire illness and treatment, she has spent every minute she could bringing in income for herself, even when she has been barely able to make it out of the house and back.

She is partially supported by temporary disability funds, and partially by doing Instacart orders when she's feeling well enough (and often when she isn't), but even with this, money has still been tight. As we're approaching the last chunk of the fiscal year, with another deductible looming on the horizon, and treatment continuing for the forseeable future, she has passed the point where she can do this on her own.

On top of that, my sister's entire life for the past year has been nothing but surviving; I would love for her to be able to actually spend some of her time LIVING, doing things that are enjoyable and that bring lightness, instead of this heavy weight she's been under for so long.

I am so proud of my sister and everything she has done to push through this awful experience so far. After losing our mother and our other sister one right after the other when we were both still young adults, we have been each other's rock through every difficult time in one another's lives. If I had a million dollars, it would all go to help my sister make it through this. Since I don't, thank you for helping me take care of her the way she's always taken care of me.

Every single campaign will say that even a little bit helps, but that couldn't be more true in this case. $5 is appreciated (and needed) just as much as $500. Sharing this with your network, if you are able, would also help TREMENDOUSLY.

The fundraising goal is set at $5000, but I will increase it if we reach that goal. The dream is to have as much of a financial safety net as possible, so my sister can focus fully on getting and staying healthy.

What Will My Money Go Toward?

This list is not exhaustive, and not in order of how funds will be allocated, but here are some things that you would be helping with:

Thank You

From Bethany, Ozzie, and me, thank you from the very bottom of our hearts. My sister is everything to me, and your rallying to give her a fighting chance is the most miraculous kind of love anyone could receive in this world. ❤️