Help me fight my battle with breast cancer alone in Korea.

My cancer story and journey.

Hi, my name is Kirsty. I’m 30 years old, originally from the UK, and currently living and working in South Korea. I never imagined I’d be writing something like this — but I’ve been diagnosed with Stage 2 Invasive Ductal Carcinoma, a type of breast cancer that’s growing aggressively.

Update: Surgery Done, Chemo Begun and a Long Road Ahead

Hi everyone,

I wanted to take a moment to share an update and thank you from the bottom of my heart.

My surgery went well, and I’ve recovered better than expected. I also had a surgery to insert a chemo port before starting treatment. It was uncomfortable, but necessary. I’ve now completed my first round of chemotherapy, and thankfully, it went smoothly. I’m hoping my second round goes just as well.

As I continue treatment, I've come up against Many big challenges. My teaching contract ends soon, and I’ll be switching to a G-1-10 medical visa. This visa doesn’t allow me to legally work, so I’ll no longer have any income during the remainder of my treatment. I’ll also need to find new housing, which is especially difficult in Korea due to the high deposits typically required just to move in.

Looking ahead, I still have:

6 more rounds of chemotherapy

Radiotherapy

Long-term hormone treatment

Plus, ongoing medical exams, tests, and medication. There is also the risk of infections, pneumonia, fevers and other things that I have to be taken into account.

When I first created this donation page, I didn’t really think clearly, I was overwhelmed and just trying to hold everything together. I didn’t expect much, but the generosity, shares, messages, and kindness from all of you have truly touched me. If you’ve donated, shared, or simply reached out with kind words , thank you. Those small and big gestures really did make a difference to my reaction to this whole process.

If you’re able to continue supporting, whether by donating, sharing, or simply sending love. Please know that it means the world to me. I’m doing my best to stay strong and hopeful as I fight this cancer day by day.

Lots of love and fight,

Kirsty.