Heather Picquelle Medical Bill Fund

Aloha to our dear friends, family, coworkers, teammates and paddling community.

 

Those of you who know and love Heather Picquelle, may have already heard that she was diagnosed with Medullary Thyroid Cancer (MTC) in January.

 

MTC is a very uncommon type of thyroid cancer as only 1-2% of diagnosed thyroid cancers per year. MTC is a very aggressive type of cell that can spread quickly to other organs (liver, brain, bones, lymphatic system and soft tissue).

 

Heather went in for a massage, where a suspicious lump in her neck was identified, and she was encouraged to get it checked. So she made an appointment to get it checked out by her physician, and three biopsies of both thyroid glands and adjacent lymph nodes were ordered. The results were positive for cancer cells detected in all three biopsies, and Medullary Thyroid Cancer (MTC) was the confirmatory diagnosis.

Since the diagnosis of MTC in January, Heather has been undergoing extensive testing with multiple specialists to determine if there are additional areas of concern (CT’s MRIs, PET, blood work, etc.). Other areas of concern that have been identified are the lymph nodes in her upper chest/lower neck and some suspicious nodules in her liver.

 

Heather will be undergoing a complex surgical procedure on April 4th at UCI, under the care of several surgeons to remove both thyroid glands, several neck lymph nodes, and a node in her chest. The node in the chest may require a very invasive procedure which would involve cracking the sternum/breastplate to gain access. This surgical approach to remove the chest lymph node would be similar to the invasiveness of open-heart surgery from an anatomical access perspective.

 

Heather is a fierce athlete, inspirational coach, steadfast leader, dedicated Mother, loving wife and loyal friend. She is the glue in ALL of these roles which she  delivers effortlessly and with unwavering consistency.

She is a monumental presence in our lives, ready for a laugh, inspirational pep talk, first to charge up a hill, down a wave, on the dance floor, loving every minute of it with her infectious cackling laugh. Heather gives her all in everything she does and inspires those of us around her to meet her there. She is competitive without being adversarial.

 

Heather has spent most of her paddling career as Imua OCC head Women’s coach, BOD leader and top crew steersman. She is a beast in any seat she sits and inspires those in her canoe to bring their very best.

Heather is also a gifted artist and graphic designer, and many have enjoyed her talent over the years thru her artwork and designs. Besides paddling…(yes, there is more to life than paddling), Heather loves Tough Mudder’s, Ragnar’s, hiking, running…with fellow Imuan’s on “Team JT Strong” which is a dedication to Jenn Todd, who we lost several years ago to brain cancer.
We have all watched Heather and Jim raise Briana and Brenden who have become kind, compassionate and confident just like their parents, who are chasing their own life goals and dreams.

We have created this GoFundMe to support this incredible woman, who CONSISTENTLY gives of herself to everyone and everything she is a part of. The goal is to ensure she has ZERO financial stress as she begins this journey, as what could be the fight of her life.

Healthcare costs can add up very quickly, along with unpaid time off work for Doctor visits, testing, procedures, surgery, recovery, treatment, medication, supplements, etc.

As a key financial contributor for her family and her son Brenden in college at UCI, economic pressure and stress are areas that we can help alleviate for her collectively.

We know there will be an initial surgery to remove the thyroid and affected lymph nodes, with possible differential liver diagnoses with additional surgeries to come. Of course, we are all praying for the best possible prognosis, and we will be using this forum to post updates as they come. We are grateful for any donation. Please share this with the paddling Ohana, as any size donation adds up and is appreciated. We will do absolutely anything to ensure Heather gets through this journey. She has supported many sisters with cancer over the years; now, it is our turn to help Heather.

 

A woman who has given SO much, we are honored to show her how much she is loved and pay it forward in this challenging time of her life.

Mahalo, for your love, prayers and support.

Rhisa Gibbs
Friend, paddling teammate
Orange County, Ca