Help Dionne Fight the Most Urgent Battle of Her Life

My name is Maya Brewington, and I’m writing today on behalf of my daughter, Dionne Episcopo Dean—a kind, funny, fiercely resilient woman who is now fighting the hardest battle of her life: advanced triple-negative breast cancer that has spread to the fluid around her brain.

As a little girl, Dionne dreamed of owning a pet shop. Today, she still loves animals and houseplants with a childlike tenderness. She is creative, warm, and hilarious. To know Dionne is to love her.

But behind her bright spirit is a story of strength. Dionne is also someone who, through incredible courage and effort, achieved sobriety after years of struggling with addiction. She rebuilt her life from the ground up—living in a sober house, working, supporting herself, and making plans for the future.

Then, in March 2025, she received the diagnosis that would change everything: triple-negative breast cancer, an aggressive form that had already spread to her lymph nodes by the time it was found. Just weeks later, imaging suggested it may have reached her meninges—the delicate lining around the brain and spinal cord. This rare complication is called leptomeningeal disease (LMD), and it is life-threatening.

Dionne is being treated at MD Anderson Cancer Center in Houston, one of the top cancer hospitals in the world. Her doctors are urgently completing testing to determine treatment and whether she can receive intrathecal chemotherapy (injected into the spine), radiation, or possibly enter a clinical trial. Two promising trials—one at Stanford, the other in Florida—may offer her a chance at more time and a better quality of life. But they require travel, lodging, and regular in-person visits out of state.

How You Can Help

While Dionne’s treatment is largely covered by Medicaid, the cost of getting to that care is not. Your donation will help with:

Flights to and from Houston, California or Florida for clinical trials

Short-term housing near the MD Anderson and/or trial hospitals

Local transportation, food, and caregiving costs

Replacing lost income while she undergoes treatment

Why Now

Dionne’s cancer is aggressive and the decisions her doctors make in the coming days will depend on advanced imaging and spinal fluid analysis. Once her treatment plan is confirmed, she may have to travel within days. We are preparing now for that possibility and need support to act quickly if the trials accept her.

From Her Mother

Dionne is my daughter, and I feel lucky everyday to be her mom. She is so loved. She has worked so hard to build a new life. She shouldn’t have to fight this alone. Please help us keep her in this world a little longer—healthy, laughing, and surrounded by the love she deserves.

No amount is too small. Anything you donate is giving Dionne a real chance and our family hope.

Thank you for reading, sharing, and supporting.

With love and deep gratitude,

Her Family