Katie’s Cancer Fund

The  Swan/Anderson Family Story

In Sonoma County, where the Katie’s live, we have had continuous years of natural disasters. The most publicized are the fires. Every one of us has been knee deep in a global pandemic. These two have had to figure out multiple challenges and show up to disaster after disaster. Many of you can relate and have reached those places of this cannot get any worse, right? 

The beginning of this family started way back with two young humans trying to find themselves in this big old world.  Katie and Katie met at Cal State Monterey Bay at eighteen years old. They were full of their childhood and ready to step into their beginning of adulthood. If you know them, you love them. They are full of laughter, love and embrace the bumpy roads of life together with a ton of heart.

They have been together for 20 years and were married 11 years ago. It is not easy to live in a world that goes in and out denying your love and allowing you to be who you are legally with, the one you love. It makes moments like marriage feel like a collective win. A win for all that believe in rainbow love and miracles. This family needs some miracle and you can be a part of the miracle today.

The Katie’s life has just taken a bumpy road turn into the land of cancer. Katie Anderson was diagnosed with Stage 3 Breast Cancer in December of 2020. Cancer is raging in our hearts as we all look into their eyes and the eye of their three gorgeous children. 

Their three children have diverse and different special needs. They are now processing cancer. This is the beginning of the cancer chapters of their life. Imagine this for a moment and how challenging this is for these three little ones.

Katie A has been their main caregiver while her wife Katie Swan works to serve those in our community. Katie S. has served in our community mental health system through all of the disasters. These two are salt of the earth humans. They give to others endlessly.

The difficulty for both is asking and receiving support. Katie A said, “I am the helper I am the one that always shows up to help” Yes, she is. It is our time to offer some help so she can practice receiving.

If all of that was not enough, Katie A. lost her Dad to cancer, only 1 year ago, and has been grieving the loss as she enters treatment. Life sure is not fair. Her Dad was told he would live and that the doctors caught his cancer early. He died 2 years later after the cancer wreaked havoc on his body.  That fear is looming in Katie and her grief is large. Her family feels all of this deeply too.

I am a friend of this families writing their story. As I am writing this, tears are flowing. I feel their grief, grace and fierce courage to ask me for support in sharing their life. Incredibly humbling to ask for support and vulnerably share the not okay and pain of their life.

It is not easy to ask for help. It is really not easy when you are used to being the one to show up for others. They need our support and more importantly their children need us.

When life throws us lemons, sometimes it takes others to help make the lemonade.
 
What Cancer Cannot Do 
Cancer is so limited...It cannot cripple love.
It cannot shatter hope.
It cannot corrode faith. It cannot eat away peace.
It cannot destroy confidence.
It cannot kill friendship. It cannot shut out memories.                                                             
It cannot silence courage.
It cannot reduce eternal life. It cannot quench the Spirit.
 ~ Robert L. Lynn


Treatment Plan Information
Katie was diagnosed with state 3 invasive ductal carcinoma breast cancer on 12/18/20. The family has been knee deep in cancer ever since. There is no easy time for cancer and during a global pandemic is an even more intense time. 

Katie has two large tumors in her right breast. The cancer has metastasized to lymph nodes in her right armpit. The medical team has estimated one year of treatment. Everyone will go through changes that love Katie. Please check out this helpful website: https://www.cancer.org/treatment/caregivers/when-someone-you-know-has-cancer.html 

Awareness and staying present is hard in the face of cancer and a gift to yourself and their family. They need their community to support them as they move down the recovery road of cancer. Katie has already started treatment and her first round of chemotherapy started on 1/21/2021.

The medial team has moved very quickly and aggressively towards fighting Katie’s cancer. Katie is not cancer and cancer is in her body. It is important to make this distinction when supporting her. The treatment plan details thus far are as follows:

Four months of chemotherapy, first two months are especially hard because it's a combination of two chemotherapy medications. After chemotherapy she will have a mastectomy and lymphadenectomy as part of her treatment.  After surgery, she will have to do radiation. She will have to be on hormone suppressant medication for 10 years because the cancer is fueled by estrogen. She will go on to enjoy her life with her family and friends cancer free! 

Recovery Support for this Family
As many of you know, the pandemic has impact us all. Many are impacted financially, emotionally and spiritually. This family is no different than the rest of our community. Katie’s wife has been blessed to continue working during the pandemic and able to support their family. You can imagine the challenges of having three children at home while trying to care for your wife and support your children with school, emotional needs and all the every day chores.

The hardest part may be Katie allowing the support. Katie has always been the helper and helpers often have a hard time allowing others to care for them. It is hard to ask for help. 

Katie is beginning to practice receiving and allowing her family and friends to support her as she rests, heals and kicks cancers ass. Asking for financial support is not something she ever imagined doing and doing it so public is humbling to say the least. 

The support you provide financially will go towards bringing ease of mind, body and heart to this whole family. Some examples of what the support will look like are as follows:

1.  Pay for in home support that will add supportive care for their children and Katie.

2. Pay for any medical treatment that is not covers by Katie’s insurance. Insurance often only covers that basics and leaves out supportive supplemental healthcare that can increase positive results that ends cancer. Not an exhaustive list and examples may include: Nutrition support, acupuncture, supplements and etc.

3. Pay for any medical equipment or other supplies that are not covered by my insurance. This could include and not limited to these examples: Cost of wig, hats, clothing for comfort and so on.

4. Additional items that will support the children and/or Katie to take care of themselves as they wrestle with and witness Katie’s journey with cancer. The whole family is impacted. The children and Katie may need added support. Potential examples may include: classes for children or Katie that support self care such as exercise, emotional education and support, additional therapy and etc.

5. Additional supplements and specialty alternative immune boosting healthy life style items that support you in changing to meet Katie’s recovery goal. 

The Urgent Ask for Financial Support
The need is urgent and cancer does not wait around for us to be prepared for it.  Many have been supporting this family already, thank you is not sufficient and words cannot express the gratitude they feel as you hold them during this incredibly hard time. This family needs financial support today.  

Katie is dedicated to kicking cancer to the curb and living a full life after this nightmare. Please join me in supporting this family during these very challenging times. No amount is too small. All donations are humbly received. 

All the love is welcome.
If you are unable to support with a financial gift,
Please do keep them in your thoughts and prayers.
Thank you!