Help Kelsie Kick Breast Cancer's Butt

Hi everyone,

As most know, our dear friend Kelsie needs our support. At just 31 years old, she has been diagnosed with Stage 2, hormone positive, her2 negative, grade 3 Invasive Ductal Carcinoma. She has gone through multiple biopsies, scans, MRIs, an egg retrieval cycle, and underwent a double mastectomy on May 6, 2024.

Pathology after surgery also indicated that she has grade 3 Ductal Carcinoma in Situ as well as Grade 3 IDC. Grade 3 cells are poorly differentiated and look the most different from normal cells. They grow irregularly and many cells divide to make new cancer cells. All margins luckily came back clear at this time with nothing advanced beyond the original area, however, grade 3 cells tend to have a higher chance of recurrence as compared to grade 1 and grade 2 cells.

Kelsie's journey is still far from over. She started the hardest chemotherapy regimen, ACT - also known as "red devil", on June 20th and faces more challenges ahead including physical therapy, lymphedema therapy, being put into medical menopause and multiple years of hormone blockers, among other treatments.

According to the CDC, an estimated 10% of all new breast cancer cases are found in women younger than 45. Typical routine breast cancer screenings in this country start at the age of 40. It is Kelsie's goal to be an advocate to the younger population of women in this country and to educate them on self-screening and self-advocating to their medical professionals - which is commendable.

Kelsie is someone you can count on to always have your back while making great memories along the way. Her strength and resilience are truly inspiring! She plans to continue attending work starting next week in order to maintain health insurance, but unfortunately, she won't be able to take on her normal hours. As a nurse, Kelsie has always been there to take care of others, and now it's our turn to take care of her.

Kelsie often teaches us to live life to the fullest. She loves spending her summers skydiving, a passion she’s had to put on hold this year. Kelsie's love for adventure and skydiving is a symbol of her resilience and determination to get back to all the things she cares for and misses. It's Kelsie's courage that inspires us to stand by her side as she faces this head-on.

So, I'm asking for your help. As Kelsie's friends, family, and fellow adventurers, we can help to ease her stress and lift her spirit! We are raising funds to help cover Kelsie’s rising medical expenses and any other financial burdens during this journey full of emotional and physical hurdles. Any contribution, big or small, will make a significant difference.

Let's come together to support Kelsie, a fighter, and friend. Thank you for your generosity and love.

#breastcancerisabitchbutsoiskelsie

If you feel more comfortable donating through Paypal or Venmo, please reach out to me.

With gratitude,

Emily