Hi, my name is Anna Monastero and I am 29 years old. I live in the Greater Philadelphia area with my dog, Phoenix, and for the last several years we have spent a lot of our time taking care of my mom, who was diagnosed with glioblastoma (stage IV brain cancer) in 2021. These last years have been filled with hardship, but taking care of my mom is the most rewarding thing I think I could ever do with my life. My mom adopted me as a single mother, and I am proud that I have been able to return the sacrifices she made for me. In October 2025, my time as my mom's caregiver was abruptly halted as I was diagnosed with cancer. I spent weeks in and out of the hospital with mystery lung and heart issues from August to September, and following thoracic surgery to biopsy the tumors in my lungs, I was diagnosed with angiosarcoma. Angiosarcoma is a very rare and aggressive subtype of sarcoma, where the cancer develops in the soft tissues and blood vessels, meaning it can essentially spread everywhere; the aggressive nature of angiosarcoma results in a bleak prognosis, and life expectancy at around a year. The angiosarcoma metastasized and spread to my lungs, which has caused many lung and heart problems over the last months, including pneumothoraces (collapsed or partially collapsed lungs), pleural effusions (buildup of fluid outside the lungs) and pericardial effusions (buildup of fluid outside the heart sac).

Following the diagnosis in early October, it was discovered through a PET scan and cardiac MRI that the primary tumor is in my heart. Cardiac angiosarcoma is when the primary tumor originates in the heart, and metastases like mine in the lungs, pelvis and other areas generally occur as the cancer progresses. I am grateful that the PET scan determined that I do not currently have tumors in other places, and I am hopeful that starting treatment immediately will result in stopping the spread of the cancer. I began chemotherapy two weeks after diagnosis, and am on a chemo regimen called GemTax (gemcitabine and docetaxel). My treatment plan does not have a definite timeline or endpoint... The idea is to do chemo until all tumors have disappeared, or until it stops working. Of course, I'm praying for the first option!

This past month has been overwhelming but also a blur. Everything moves so fast with a terminal cancer diagnosis, and on top of trying to get second opinions, make appointments for scans, and get personal affairs in order, fertility and the potential to preserve it was moved to the top of the list, as my chemo regimen would most likely kill any chances at getting pregnant. I spoke with a fertility doctor specializing in treating cancer patients and ultimately decided that the 2+ weeks it would take to do IVF and freeze eggs was not worth the risk of pushing back the start of chemo because of how aggressive the cancer is and how quickly it could spread. It honestly breaks my heart to know that it is a very real possibility that I will never have children or be a mom, especially because it has been my dream for so many years to be a mother, but a very good family friend who beat cancer twice told me that I cannot be a mother if I'm not here. I am taking Lupron to try to protect fertility (and my ovaries), and I hope one day if I get through all of this, a miracle is granted and I can have a child.

Several close and amazing friends of mine have asked me over the last month about starting a GoFundMe. I was resistant because I thought, with everything going on and all the change in my life, one thing I can still try to do is take care of myself financially; I didn't want to give up any more independence than I already have. But I've spent every day since my diagnosis researching the disease, and what I learned is that angiosarcoma being so rare means that it does not receive the funding that it needs to make real and significant advancements in research and treatment. I have read so many stories of people, young and old, who have died from this incurable cancer, and the conclusion I've come to is that, this disease and what happens to me is out of my control. I will do chemo for as long as it takes, and I will fight this until the very end, but if my days are truly numbered, I will leave here knowing that despite a horrible diagnosis, there was good that came from it. For that reason, any money raised that does not go directly to medical bills will be donated to Angiosarcoma Awareness https://www.cureasc.org/ and the Sarcoma Foundation of America https://curesarcoma.org/.

I want to thank you for being here and for taking the time to read my story. If there is any positive takeaway from my diagnosis, it's that there is so much good out in the world. I have been overwhelmed, touched, and absolutely humbled by the outpouring of love, support and kindness I have received from family, friends, coworkers, and so many others; despite my diagnosis, I am still convicted in my belief that I am truly blessed, and for that I have endless gratitude. Every day is a gift, and there is still so much good in the world.

Thank you from the bottom of our hearts,

Anna, Matthew & Phoenix