Help Alaina Battle Triple Negative Breast Cancer

Hello dear friends, family, & kind strangers,

 

Jordan here, writing on behalf of my lovely beautiful partner, Alaina. For those who don’t know her, she’s a one-of-a-kind daughter, sister, niece, cousin, grandkid, & friend.

At just 32 years old, she has been diagnosed with triple negative infiltrating ductal carcinoma of the left breast (TNBC), with metastatic disease to the axillary lymph nodes. It is considered a grade 3, stage 3c cancer due to:

The size of the mass being over 3cm x 3cm

Triple negative status, Metastatic disease to the axillary lymph nodes. The professionals have told us this is the most aggressive type of breast cancer & treatment options are congruent with the aggressiveness.

 

We all know Alaina is a hard worker and a very strong individual but cancer treatments are taxing on the mind, body and spirit. This is why we are humbly asking our community for full support and help with her healing as she embarks on this battle to fight for her life against a viciously fast growing cancer. This is a marathon, not a sprint, and Alaina is determined to fight hard.

 

Since the diagnosis confirmed on 04/14/2025, she's faced an exhausting regimen of tests including PET scans, many pokes for blood work, MRIs, ultrasounds, X-rays, a port surgically put in to administer medications & for future lab draws, & there have been/will be many doctor office visits. The timing for surgery (mastectomy) & subsequent treatments will be based on the response from chemotherapy, immunotherapy, & surgery combined. The recommended treatment plan will continue for the next 1 year minimum, with further tests & follow ups throughout the next several years.

 

Alaina has health insurance, however, her deductible & max out of pocket costs will be $10k per year (which she will max out this years limits very shortly). This is going to be a multi-year journey & the out of pocket costs thru her insurance reset each calendar year. This does not include the few things that insurance does not cover that will add to her out of pocket costs.

She knows she has a long road ahead of her & has spent a lot of time contemplating what will help support her in her fight. Your support will also help her to be able to do complimentary holistic therapies like acupuncture, hyperbaric oxygen therapy, & IV therapies (i.e. the ones insurance does not cover such as high dose Vitamins C & D) which are shown to help ease side effects and support recovery while undergoing chemo. Other costs that are not covered by insurance include:

-Special ice packs worn during weekly infusions to help prevent permanent neuropathy in the hands & feet, The cost of wig(s) (we all know she likes a good *hair flip* in the wind)

 

She has approached each appointment with courage & grace, but the reality is there is no "pause" button on TNBC - treatment is continuous. She has already missed a lot of work & exhausted her current PTO pool, medical expenses piling up, & everyday life still demands rent, groceries, utilities, & more.

 

Additionally, I (Jordan) may need to take an extensive amount of time off work to go with Alaina to her appointments & help her at home during treatment & after her surgery. The mastectomy surgery can take over 2 months to recover from with very limited use of arms during that time.

This cancer diagnosis has brought on a lot of fear & anxiety about all of the unknowns, & the frustrations associated with needing help to complete tasks she can usually do by herself. As an independent woman she is learning a lot about how to ask for help with grace.

 

We are humbly asking for donations to help with ongoing & increasing treatment costs, medical bills & prescriptions, travel expenses for surgical treatment as they do not offer surgical services in/near Bemidji, daily living expenses due to smaller paychecks, & future care costs.

 

If you are unable to give financially at this time, we cannot express enough how much we welcome your spirited prayers, positivity & humor, speaking life & healing over her name, & sharing her story with your friends & loved ones as well. We plan to keep everyone updated here as we go through the healing journey.

 

Thank you ALL so much for listening & loving.

 

With love,

Jordan & Alaina