In March of this year, my sister Faith was diagnosed with invasive mammary carcinoma breast cancer. Faith is a single mother of two young children who rely on her for everything. The good news, her MRI showed no cancer in the right breast nor in the lymph nodes, however, a lymph node biopsy is necessary to determine if the cancer has spread. This will be done at the same time as the mastectomy on June 6. From there, her treatment plan will be decided, with a full reconstruction scheduled at the end of it all. It's going to be a long haul - and the timeline is relatively unknown except for this first step.

This fundraiser is to help pay her growing medical bills beyond what insurance will pay and to help with living costs while she recovers from her mastectomy surgery so that she can focus on eradicating cancer from her body and be the strong woman that she is for her kids, herself, her work and her life.

Faith wrote a little about this experience and her needs below. Please consider donating, and also sharing this with your network. Both of those actions can make a huge difference for Faith and her family right now! Thank you so much! -Merce

From Faith:

In February of this year, while I was visiting New Mexico for a screening of my film, Getting From Here, I discovered a lump in my left breast. I was already booked for my first mammogram when I got back to LA. The mammogram revealed a large mass. That led to a more extensive mammogram and ultrasound, which then led to two biopsies of my left breast and the mass. The pathology for the biopsy came back as malignant. So just a month before my 50th birthday, I found out I had stage one breast cancer. My grandmother on my father’s side, ironically named Hope, died of breast cancer when she was 50. My father and his daughter are both positive for the BRCA gene. I sent my genetic test in, sure that I was also positive for the BRCA gene.

In the meantime, I had my first appointment with my breast surgeon, oncologist and radiologist. They ran down the extensive treatment they thought I would need and it was overwhelming to say the least. I would need a mastectomy, at least of the left breast, and possibly the right breast. I would need extensive chemotherapy and radiation. Luckily, and thank goodness, I am not BRCA-positive. My cancer is also atypical and so it’s not growing at a rapid pace. That said, the mass is 9 cm large and the left breast will need to be removed.

Like so many people, I never thought I would find myself in this situation. It just never occurred to me that I could get cancer. I have lived my life mostly healthy and there is not a history of cancer in my immediate family that I’m close to. The grandmother on my father’s side is distant and unknown to me so the cancer was never a reality for me. Until now.

My mastectomy is scheduled for June 6 with an additional biopsy of deeper lymph nodes. Depending on the results of the biopsy, I will need chemotherapy and radiation. From there I will eventually get reconstruction. I have been able to continue working and will for as long as physically possible, but I am planning for some extended time off to heal, recover and reclaim my health. In the coming months I will be focusing on this and to do so, need help with making sure life does not get overwhelmingly stressful.

Despite excellent insurance, medical bills are already mounting. It is unbelievable to me that even with a good job and insurance, a medical issue can be unsustainable. Although I work in the film industry, I only get paid when I work on a movie. So during a time when I need a paycheck the most, I won’t be getting one. And yet, life doesn’t stop and bills still need to be paid. Sincerest appreciation for your support.