Hi there,

My name is Emily, and I’m a good friend of Julie’s from way back to her days in Brooklyn, NY. As some of you may already know, on April 8th, Julie was diagnosed with Stage 2 Breast Cancer. To make things even more complicated (but also exciting), Julie is currently 30 weeks pregnant and is due in August with her and Carlos’ first baby! While Julie’s prognosis is good, receiving chemotherapy while pregnant certainly complicates things and is obviously an added stress to what is already a hectic time in her life. Julie is currently halfway done with the process of receiving four tri-weekly infusions of chemotherapy. Following this regimen, she will be induced in July, prior to her due date of August 4th. After delivering her baby boy, she will then need 12 more weekly infusions of another variety of chemotherapy for a total of 6 months of treatment. Depending on how well Julie responds to treatment, she will potentially need to follow all this grueling chemotherapy with a bilateral mastectomy, all while enduring the last trimester of her pregnancy and entering the wonderful and trying first months of motherhood.

As you can imagine, this is a significant burden for Julie (and Carlos) to take on physically, mentally, and financially. As someone who was unfortunate enough to be in the cancer club, like Julie, I can attest to how financially crippling cancer can be both during treatment and for many years following it. And of course, not only are Julie and Carlos trying to navigate through the rigors of cancer, but they are about to welcome a baby into the world. The last thing this wonderful couple needs is to be burdened with the stress of medical bills, daily essentials, and all the astronomical expenses that come with cancer, in addition to the financial responsibility of becoming new parents.

If you know Julie, she is one of the most kindhearted, sweetest, and caring individuals; she always has other people’s best interests at heart. Upon being diagnosed, Julie was quick to notice the lack of awareness around her unique situation in the online cancer community. So, when she made her story public information, she did so to help others not feel so alone. In her words, “If someone can come across my story one day and feel encouraged by it, then this would have meant something.”

Julie is an angel, and the people who care about her are innumerable. I know that all her friends and loved ones will rally together to help support her and Carlos with collective optimism and positive vibes during this challenging time. Please consider donating or passing this GoFundMe along to help provide for this family that could use your love and support. Any donation that you can make will go so far to help Julie and Carlos get back on their feet and allow them to focus on enjoying the newest addition to their family!