Support Brooke South's Breast Cancer Fund!

If you’re on this page, you likely already know why, but for those unfamiliar, I’ll lay it out: at the end of December, Brooke South found a painful lump in her breast, and in January, she made an appointment for a diagnostic mammogram. By the start of February, she’d been diagnosed with stage 2 breast cancer. Brooke’s been understandably scared, uncertain, frustrated, angry, optimistic, hopeful, and all the rest. As her partner, I’m feeling all the same things, and if you know her at all, you probably are too.

In the fewest words I can possibly imagine using to sum her up, Brooke is a weird, wonderful, unfiltered ray of sunshine. She’s all goofy jokes and true-crime obsession. A remarkably friendly introvert who can make a stranger feel entirely seen (even if she’d rather be home alone). The kind of mom who stays entirely present but never hovers. An old lady wrapped in the skin of someone 50 years younger (“put your safety belt on”). She’s observant and intuitive. Empathetic. Witchy. Driven and kind. Tough, but gooey in the center. Brooke is nurturing and fun and beautiful and wicked smart. She’s a dream. And she’s got cancer.

So, here we are.

Asking for help isn’t easy for anyone, and Brookie is no exception. Her fierce independence makes the idea of “reaching out” very difficult (even in far less vulnerable situations), so I’m doing it for her. Cancer isn’t something that anyone should experience or fight alone, and our healthcare system is…imperfect. Even though she’s insured, her deductible and out-of-pocket costs will make this a tough financial hurdle to overcome, especially for a single mom. She’ll continue to work whenever possible, but medical expenses tend to pile up. She’s already received several bills, and we all know how astonishingly easy it can be to find oneself in a terrifying amount of debt.

She's had weekly appointments for biopsies, MRIs, and oncological consultations, and on March 13th, she underwent a bilateral (double) mastectomy. Surgery went well, and she’s nearing the end of a painful 6-week recovery, which will be followed by a second surgery, 3-4 months of hormone treatment (chemotherapy), then potential radiation. All of this is sure to be accompanied by a host of unknown expenses and unanticipated costs. Rather than risk getting into a position where she can’t afford the best possible care, I would love to enable Brooke to focus entirely on healing. To that end, there are a few particular areas of support for which we’re hoping to raise some funds:

We are profoundly and endlessly grateful for any support, no matter the amount (and we will gladly take all the good vibes, positive thoughts, and healing energy you’ve got). Brooke is all in for awareness right now…do regular self-exams, and if you’re over 40, please get your mammogram! Love you all!

For those who would prefer to donate directly, Brooke’s Venmo handle is: @brookesouth