Cari's Breast Cancer Fight Fund
Donation protected
First off, for anyone who is reading this let me introduce myself. I am Kelly Madge, Cari Aytons younger sister by 14months (not twins, if anyone is curious). She has breast cancer, a pretty aggressive form. Is currently in chemo therapy, has had double mastectomy - and is currently awaiting recontruction to be completed. Let me tell you a bit about her story. Here we are in a picture right before she shaved her head. 
I of course, am the one with the bird on my shoulder and she is the one with the shorter head. We both had long hair down to our rear ends. She got her hair cut after her diagnosis to get used to short hair. She has breast cancer, HER2 Triple + diagnosed at 31 years old, right before her 32nd birthday. She found the lump herself, during a self breast exam. I remember her texting me at work and being told she had cancer in SITU at first, and I still lost it. They were going to perform a lumpectomy soon and remove it. After the lumpectomy, things were not so great. Somehow they only managed to biopsy a portion of her cancer, and that was the part that was in SITU. They came back and told her she did have breast cancer, it was aggressive fast growing and they needed to move fast. From the time of the lumpectomy to her masectomy her cancer grew quite a bit. She had her double mastectomy scheduled, her chemotherapy all squared away, and decided on a reconstruction until her insurance told her that her plastic surgeon was out of network and was denied. It would be $25,000 for her to have her breasts repaired after having them taken off. I watched her cry, and say she was choosing to go ahead and not have them reconstructed. Cari would talk about how she could go into debt for millions of things, her house, a car, children...but her breasts didn't seem like something she could justify doing. She could live without having breasts, but everytime I could see the tears in her eyes.
This is where her wonderful husband stepped in and made the choice for her. They would be going into debt for her breasts. They would borrow the money as he could see how important it was to her, he loved her more than anything.
Cari is now on her 2nd round of chemo. She is being hit with three drugs because she is so young and they believe it is her best chance to stop a reoccurance. I have taken her to her sessions, and sat with her. She eats ice chips to prevent mouth ulcers, and they urge to hold ice the entire 3 hour infusion to prevent her finger nails from falling out. Day 2 post chemo she gets hit HARD with swollen joints all over body pains and nausea, severe fatigue and she can't keep anything down. I have sat with her and rubbed her joints. cleaned her house because her husband has to work. She is a nurse in a nusing home which carries MRSA and VRE, who sometimes does woundcare which as many of you know forces her to take medical leave.
Which brings me to why I have started this gofund me page. To help with her massive amount of medical debt. She will carry on with chemo in 2015, which means brand new out of pocket expenses and more medical debt. (Updated to add she will have NEW out of pocket expenses totalling upwards of over 5k in 2015) This account has been started to pay off the medical debt, she has gained including hopefully part of the loan for the reconstruction of her breasts. I know I am being hopeful, but she is young 32, and every dollar DOES help.
****Updated to ADD*****
on 10/23/2015 Cari lost her Best pet Buddy and constant companion throughout these treatments, Toggle the cockatiel. (Pictured on my shoulder) He passed away suddenly, and she is very upset. She will be having her 3rd round of chemo on 10/27/2015, and is almost completely bald now - but is holding up high spirits. Her last round of chemo caused her to lose 8lbs due to being unable to hold down food.
I of course, am the one with the bird on my shoulder and she is the one with the shorter head. We both had long hair down to our rear ends. She got her hair cut after her diagnosis to get used to short hair. She has breast cancer, HER2 Triple + diagnosed at 31 years old, right before her 32nd birthday. She found the lump herself, during a self breast exam. I remember her texting me at work and being told she had cancer in SITU at first, and I still lost it. They were going to perform a lumpectomy soon and remove it. After the lumpectomy, things were not so great. Somehow they only managed to biopsy a portion of her cancer, and that was the part that was in SITU. They came back and told her she did have breast cancer, it was aggressive fast growing and they needed to move fast. From the time of the lumpectomy to her masectomy her cancer grew quite a bit. She had her double mastectomy scheduled, her chemotherapy all squared away, and decided on a reconstruction until her insurance told her that her plastic surgeon was out of network and was denied. It would be $25,000 for her to have her breasts repaired after having them taken off. I watched her cry, and say she was choosing to go ahead and not have them reconstructed. Cari would talk about how she could go into debt for millions of things, her house, a car, children...but her breasts didn't seem like something she could justify doing. She could live without having breasts, but everytime I could see the tears in her eyes.
This is where her wonderful husband stepped in and made the choice for her. They would be going into debt for her breasts. They would borrow the money as he could see how important it was to her, he loved her more than anything.
Cari is now on her 2nd round of chemo. She is being hit with three drugs because she is so young and they believe it is her best chance to stop a reoccurance. I have taken her to her sessions, and sat with her. She eats ice chips to prevent mouth ulcers, and they urge to hold ice the entire 3 hour infusion to prevent her finger nails from falling out. Day 2 post chemo she gets hit HARD with swollen joints all over body pains and nausea, severe fatigue and she can't keep anything down. I have sat with her and rubbed her joints. cleaned her house because her husband has to work. She is a nurse in a nusing home which carries MRSA and VRE, who sometimes does woundcare which as many of you know forces her to take medical leave.
Which brings me to why I have started this gofund me page. To help with her massive amount of medical debt. She will carry on with chemo in 2015, which means brand new out of pocket expenses and more medical debt. (Updated to add she will have NEW out of pocket expenses totalling upwards of over 5k in 2015) This account has been started to pay off the medical debt, she has gained including hopefully part of the loan for the reconstruction of her breasts. I know I am being hopeful, but she is young 32, and every dollar DOES help.
****Updated to ADD*****
on 10/23/2015 Cari lost her Best pet Buddy and constant companion throughout these treatments, Toggle the cockatiel. (Pictured on my shoulder) He passed away suddenly, and she is very upset. She will be having her 3rd round of chemo on 10/27/2015, and is almost completely bald now - but is holding up high spirits. Her last round of chemo caused her to lose 8lbs due to being unable to hold down food.
Organizer
Kelly Napier Madge
Organizer
Concord, NC