Facing Stage 4 Breast Cancer with Hope - Recurrence Update

My dear friend Cherise created this campaign to help me share my story and gather support during a very challenging time in my life.

In May 2024, I was diagnosed with stage 4 HER2-positive metastatic breast cancer. It came fast and hard, impacting my lungs, liver, and mobility. With the help of an incredible medical team along with chemotherapy and immunotherapy I fought back. This spring, I was told I was in remission.

That moment was everything. My scans looked great, my hair began to grow back, and I was able to return to work. I even started a second job to catch up on bills. Life felt like it was finally coming back together.

This is an update I never thought I would have to make.

Mid-July, I noticed something was wrong. My balance and coordination were off. Walking became difficult, and I even had a mild fall that injured my elbow. At a routine blood work appointment on Thursday, August 7, my oncology team urged me to go to the ER. Everything moved quickly from there.

An MRI revealed lesions on my brain. Within thirty minutes of having the MRI, I began having seizure-like spasms and was started on anti-seizure medication and steroids.

Steroids are already helping with inflammation and I’m able to move around a little bit better. Radiation treatment begins Monday, August 11, three rounds, every other day while I remain in the hospital. After that, the plan is to move to an intensive rehab center. How long I’ll be there is uncertain, but I’m hoping for a fast and strong recovery so I can get back home.

Thanks to your generous donations, almost $6,000 was raised during my first round of treatment. That support was instrumental in helping me get through a very difficult time, and I'm deeply grateful. With this unexpected turn, I'm now facing a new round of treatment and starting from zero.

What I need most right now is help keeping my home and daily life steady while I go through treatment and rehab. That includes rent, insurance, groceries, and transportation costs. I need a safe place to come home to and a way to get to rehab and future appointments.

The lesions are HER2-positive cancer cells, the same type that responded well to treatment in 2024 and earlier this year, so I have reason for optimism. Your support helps me stay focused on healing and managing the day-to-day while I recover. Whether through donations or sharing this page, your kindness means the world to me.

Thank you for standing with me, for believing in healing, and for helping me hold onto hope.

With gratitude,

Tamara