My name is Cathy, and I am 21 years old. Back in early 2021, I noticed I was having trouble sleeping due to chronic stomach ache and discomfort. Initially, when I visited our family doctor to discuss my symptoms and discomfort, I was told that it was nothing too serious due to my young age. Because my symptoms continued to affect my daily lifestyle and progressed for the worse, I finally paid a visit to the gastroenterologist where I underwent the colonoscopy to discover cancer had been the reason for all my suffering. It took copious amounts of tests and waiting to be diagnosed with stage 4 colon cancer.This news stripped a lot of normality out of my life.

First, I will be taking a semester off of school. I am supposed to graduate this spring, but due to treatment I will now have to wait. This is extremely frustrating and disappointing because I will not be able to walk alongside my friends and classmates that I’ve made throughout my time at CU Boulder.

Second, treatment is going to be expensive, and I do not have the means of being able to pay it off by myself. My parents are trying their best to help and support me financially and physically, so any help would be appreciated. My parents are older and have health problems as well, making this experience a lot harder on them while they are trying to fully support me through this.

Lastly, I’ve had to give up on a hobby that I fell in love with. I started streaming games and making new friends online last year, but due to my condition I am unable to sit at a computer for a long period of time. I also cannot hang out with friends as much due to the constant exhaustion I feel. Cancer, overall, has taken so much from me these past two months and as much as it sucks, I am trying my best to keep a positive attitude and focus on getting better.

Treatment plan: All of the donations will go into the chemo and radiation therapy and any leftover amount will go into the surgery I will eventually undergo in the future.