Our extraordinary friend Brooke has been dealt the devastating blow of a stage four pancreatic cancer diagnosis. Her prognosis is heartbreakingly short: just two months to one year, likely on the short side. The situation is urgent and dire.
Brooke’s surrender to this aggressive illness means facing overwhelming pain, exhaustion, and a rapid decline in her health. It also means joy, reflection, being with loved ones, and resting in her studio in South Lake Tahoe. There is no treatment for stage four adenocarcinoma. She is enduring severe symptoms every day: intensifying abdominal pain, drastic weight loss, not to mention profound emotional anguish. It has all happened so fast. The reality is, Brooke and her loved ones are now forced to prepare for her death. This GoFundMe will help ease the immense financial burden of end-of-life care and give Brooke the chance to spend her remaining days surrounded by loved ones, receiving comfort, and managing her health with dignity. Every donation, no matter the size, truly makes a difference in this critical time.
Brooke is a remarkable human being. She was an innovative yoga therapist in San Luis Obispo County for twenty years specializing in mental health and trauma recovery for psychiatrists, therapists and the general public. Before that, she owned a flower business in Los Osos for over a decade. Most recently, as a graduate student at Pacifica Graduate Institute in Depth Psychology and Creativity, she has inspired everyone around her with her intelligence and resilience. She is the founder of Mad Yoga, an international peer support group that empowers yoga practitioners and teachers facing mental health challenges to find hope and healing.
Brooke’s heart is enormous: she has dedicated her life to helping others through yoga and other recovery practices, and she helps people just by being herself. She is young to be facing such a cruel and fast-moving disease. Just a month ago, she was preparing to pursue her Master’s in Social Work, continually determined to make the world a better place, when she was suddenly hospitalized on February 15. It was then that the cancer was discovered. It has been a whirlwind of shock, grief, terror, difficult decisions, travel, tears, quickly deteriorating health, end of life options, and many, many phone calls and texts with loved ones. UCSF finally gave Brooke a terminal diagnosis on Thursday, March 26, though she was warned about the possibility of pancreatic cancer in February.
The financial strain on Brooke and her family is overwhelming. Medical bills, pain treatment costs, travel, and out-of-pocket care are more than Brooke can handle at the end of her life, with household expenses adding to the burden. Her sister, Cory, and close friends are helping coordinate logistics for her (and doing an amazing job!!!). Many people have asked how they can help. Thank you! Your compassion and generosity with this fundraiser will directly help Brooke access the ease, care, comfort, and dignity she desperately needs as hospice steps in.
Above all else, our deepest wish is for Brooke to feel the embrace of a caring community and to know that she is not alone. Together, let’s lift her up and show her that she is cherished, supported, and never forgotten.
