Emily Kitt's Kicking Cancer in the Fanny Fund

Picture this! Quakertown, Pennsylvania, 2021.

 

 

The whole world, still reeling from a pandemic that continues unabated, is grateful for a new vaccine that is now widely available. My sister, Emily, jumped at the chance to protect herself and others and try to resume some sense of normalcy in her life. This included getting up to date on routine appointments that we all avoided at the peak of the spread.

 

Having turned 40 just three months before the U.S. shut down (celebrated with yours truly at a particularly epic night of church basement bingo), Emily was able to get an appointment in September 2021 for her first mammogram. That's when - at age 41, after her first-ever mammogram, with no family history - Emily was diagnosed with Breast Cancer. The original pathology identified ER negative/PR negative/HER-2 positive, and the lumpectomy, which became a partial mastectomy, identified stage 1 grade 3, stage 1 grade 2, a large area of DCIS, and an area of pre-cancer, which was all removed.

 

As of this writing, Emily has just powered through 12 weeks of chemotherapy and is completely rocking the headscarves, if I do say so myself. What lies ahead may include radiation and a year of infusions every three weeks to prevent this highly aggressive cancer from returning.

 

The icing on the top? Even though genetic testing showed that Emily was negative for BRCA-1 and BRCA-2 (the typical gene mutations associated with Breast Cancer), she does have a mutation of RAD51D, which is associated with a high risk of ovarian cancer. This means that after Emily is done with her current treatments, she will face a Salpingo-oophorectomy (removal of her ovaries and fallopian tubes) as a preventative measure.

 

If you are reading this and know and love Emily, you also know that Emily is self-employed. Thanks to the pandemic, her business, Emmy Bean Jewelry, has faced the same troubles that most small businesses have experienced. Moreover, she receives no paid time off or disability. This loss of income added to the mounting medical costs of treatment - which have only just begun to come in - and has placed Emily and her family in a precarious position.

Just as Emily was getting her head above water, her partner, Matt, was hospitalized this past weekend after experiencing a mini-stroke.  While in the hospital he also received a diagnosis of Type 2 Diabetes.  This has created even more anxiety, uncertainty, doctors appointments, and medications to manage into the household routine.  

 

 

Emily has faced these challenges as she has faced all of the obstacles that cross her path: head-on. She is determined to fight, win, and move forward. But we - the people who know and love her, Matt, and Wylie - can help by taking away some of the financial stresses that they have been experiencing and will continue to face as Emily (and Matt) continue to heal from the current and future life-saving medical interventions.

 

Your donation will help pay medical expenses, offset the loss of income (and maybe even convince Emily to take some time away from the jewelry bench to, you know, nap), and allow peace of mind.

 

We also recognize that the whole world feels like it's on fire right now, and a financial gift might not be feasible. I know Emily is also grateful for happy messages, spreading the word, and the sending of happy vibes. Also: get your mammogram.