Help Michelle Quach Fight Metastatic Breast Cancer

My name is Wylie, and I'm reaching out on behalf of my sister-in-law Michelle Hong Quach. Many of you know Michelle as Hong from her high school days, in her career at the California Department of Justice, or as the dedicated community advocate she's become.

I want to share the devastating news she, her husband Dan and her three children learned several weeks ago, and why we're asking for your help today.

Since mid-2024, Michelle has been battling Stage 4 metastatic breast cancer with radiation and regular chemotherapy treatments. Recently, she began experiencing vertigo. Brain imaging revealed that cancer had spread to the lining between her skull and brain: a condition called Leptomeningeal Disease (LMD).

LMD is extraordinarily rare, and without treatment, patients typically survive four months. With proton therapy, patients can extend their lives an average of 12 months. Michelle's oncologist at UCSF, a leading researcher and expert in LMD, has recommended this specialized proton therapy, which is highly targeted radiation delivered directly to cancer cells in the brain. This treatment is not yet available at UCSF, so Michelle must travel to the University of Washington in Seattle to receive it.

This week, Michelle's health insurance denied coverage for this life-extending therapy, claiming it was not medically necessary, despite two UCSF doctors saying it is. An appeal to the insurance company would take six to 12 months – time Michelle simply doesn't have.

The insurance denial means Michelle and Dan must now pay for the treatment entirely out of pocket while also covering all travel expenses. The proton therapy alone costs at least $10,000, and a three-week trip to Seattle adds more in travel costs. We are asking for help to raise $25,000+ to offset these overwhelming expenses.

Three Week Trip to Seattle for Life-Extending Treatment

Michelle and Dan refuse to let the health insurance denial stop her from getting proton therapy. They will travel to Seattle as soon as next week (the week of August 25) to begin treatment. The family needs help to pay for these significant costs:

The financial strain is overwhelming. Michelle has been unable to work since June 2024, and her disability payments ended two months ago. The family is surviving on Dan's single income while facing mounting cancer treatment costs. Michelle and Dan have never been comfortable asking for help, but this fundraiser is a way you can help when the insurance system has failed them.

The truth with metastatic cancer is that there is no cure. But there have been some success stories from proton therapy, which gives us hope that it can buy Michelle more time. Median life expectancy for LMD patients that receive treatment is one year. However, Michelle's doctor has treated another patient with the same proton therapy who is still alive 2.5 years later and counting.

We hope Michelle can have similar success in prolonging her life, so she can gain precious time with Dan and their three sons: Nathan, who just graduated from UC Santa Cruz; Nicholas, continuing his studies at UC Davis; and Andrew, who is only 8 years old.

Michelle is fighting for every moment she can have with her family. She wants to be there as Nathan begins his career, support Nicholas through college, and watch Andrew grow up. Every additional month or year this treatment might provide means more memories, more milestones and more time.

How We Got Here: Michelle's 17-Year Battle

This is Michelle's third battle with breast cancer. She was first diagnosed in 2008, fought it and achieved remission. In 2019, cancer returned, and once again Michelle faced it with strength and determination. Since then, Michelle has lived a healthy, normal life.

Last summer, everything changed. While visiting their son Nathan at UC Santa Cruz, Michelle tripped and fell down some stairs. Her neck hurt, but initial X-rays showed nothing wrong. Michelle has remarkable pain tolerance, but after 6 weeks of persistent pain, she and Dan went to UCSF's Emergency Department.

When the second X-ray also appeared normal, ER doctors were ready to send her home. But Michelle and Dan insisted on more comprehensive scans. The CT scan revealed shocking news: breast cancer had returned and metastasized to her neck and spine, making her bones brittle and causing them to collapse. The cancer had been silently weakening her bones. The fall simply exposed what was already happening. Her persistent neck pain wasn't from the fall itself, but from cancer.

What followed were the most challenging months of Michelle's life. She underwent two major surgeries over three months, with doctors placing titanium cages in her neck and spine to prevent further collapse. Michelle spent months in the hospital, unable to walk due to excruciating pain. She received multiple rounds of radiation to her back before finally being stable enough to return home in early fall.

In winter, she began chemotherapy. It took several tries to find a drug that worked but eventually doctors found an effective treatment. For several months, scans showed encouraging news. The cancer in her spine and neck remained stable. Michelle was able to walk again, though she lives with chronic pain.

Then, in recent weeks, the vertigo began. This new symptom led to brain imaging and the LMD diagnosis we're facing today.

Your Support Makes the Difference

Your donation will directly help pay for life-extending proton therapy and travel costs. Every dollar goes toward giving her more time with Dan, Nathan, Nicholas, and Andrew.

Please consider donating whatever you can and sharing Michelle's story with your network. Thank you for reading her story. We will post regular updates on Michelle's treatment progress.