Help Dara Fight Breast Cancer & Heal
Donation protected
Dara Leitner, is a 37 yr old devoted wife and mom to 2 young boys living in Minnesota. She spends her time homeschooling her sons, leading an outdoor co-op community, and also works at a public library. Dara can often be found outdoors, connecting to nature with her family, snuggled up on the couch with a good book or laughing with the love of her life Tony.
August 2021 - Dara arrived at her yearly routine physical to examine a lump in her right breast. She wasn’t showing any symptoms that would raise alarm bells and is a picture of health, but needing more information, a mammogram and ultrasound were scheduled.
Sept 14, 2021 - Dara arrived at Mayo for her mammogram appointment with results coming back questionable and inconclusive. She immediately had an ultrasound which showed a ridge of dense tissue in her right breast. Still unable to fully identify what this questionable mass was, a biopsy was scheduled.
Sept 23, 2021 - During the biopsy they extracted a tissue sample to have investigated. A titanium marker was inserted into Dara's right breast to mark the ridge of dense tissue.
Based on the biopsy appointment, Dara was given 3 outcomes:
- Benign - not cancer
- Benign - high risk lesion : which is pre cancer
- Developed cancer
Sept 24, 2021 - Dara was home with her family when the phone rang and her world stopped: “I'm so sorry to inform you, you have Invasive Lobular Breast Cancer".
This type of breast cancer is typically not diagnosed to women under the age of 40. They are unable to tell what stage Dara is currently, but the guess is between stage 2 and 3.
- Invasive Lobular Breast Cancer begins in the milk- producing glands of the breast.
- Invasive cancer means the cancer cell have broken out of the lobule where they began and have the potential to spread to the lymph nodes and other areas of the body.
Sept 27, 2021 - With only days to process the reality of having breast cancer, she arrived at the Mayo where a MRI was performed to get a clearer picture of what was going on inside of her body.
The MRI revealed:
- Large tumor in the right breast
- Small tumor in the left breast
- One potential cancerous lymph node
The current healing plan:
- Double Mastectomy - scheduled for mid-October 2021.
- Chemotherapy and/or Radiation to be determined. During surgery they will remove and test the potential lymph node to see if it's cancerous.
- Hormone Therapy very likely
- Reconstructive Surgery
Grateful for your Donation:
Any financial contribution you are able to make is immensely appreciated.
- Your donation will be going to medical bills not covered by insurance.
- Groceries and other monthly expenses, including their mortgage and other monthly bills
If you are not in a position to donate financially, please remember Dara and her family in your thoughts and prayers in the upcoming days/months ahead.
Dara loves hand written notes which can be mailed to :
Dara Leitner
PO Box 25541
Woodbury, MN 55125
A Caring Bridge page has been created where you also follow along:
Gratitude:
Although Dara and I are not related by blood, we share a bond that transcends time, space and distance. She is my best fried, my birthday buddy, my Soul Sister and she has cancer.
I have no words to express my utter heartache.
But Dara has been a fighter her whole life, from the moment she was born as a preemie -to today beginning her healing journey to be cancer free.
She is the most compassionate person and even though she has cancer, will check in and see how you are doing.
Dara will stop on our walks to make sure that bug in the middle of the road will make it to the other side because "they deserve to live too".
This is the person you're donating to - and I am grateful from the depth of my soul.
XOXO -
Laura
Dara is going to have surgery.
Dara is going to heal up.
Dara will be cancer free.
Organizer and beneficiary
Laura Holzemer
Organizer
Cottage Grove, MN
Dara Leitner
Beneficiary