For those who may not know me, I would first like to thank you for taking the time to open my page. Life is short and attention spans are shorter, so I’ll try to be brief. Before my diagnosis, I was a personal trainer, marathon runner, weightlifter, and an overall health-conscious person. In June of 2021, I married the love of my life, and 9 months into that marriage I started getting sick. Three doctor visits and a trip to the ER resulted in six days in the hospital and a Stage IV breast cancer diagnosis. I was just 33. The day we got the news was our one-year wedding anniversary.

That was 3.5 years ago, and when I began this journey, there was an arsenal of treatment options, but the cancer has quickly rejected one after another and my options are far fewer these days. Recent progression of my illness forced me to leave my job, resulting in lost income, as well as my secondary insurance coverage. Consequently, the out-of-pocket costs for treatments and scans have increased significantly without dual insurance. I am in the application process for disability, but once approved, there is still a mandatory 5-month waiting period with no backpay before we will ever see assistance. So, I am here asking for help keeping us afloat while we wait for disability and help with my future treatment options. I have an opportunity to travel to the country’s top cancer research facility, MD Anderson, in Texas. However, this opportunity comes with costs that we have to cover on our own; travel, lodging, transportation, and any non-covered medical bills. I am fighting for time, for memories, and for life.