Help Nicole Battle Stage 3 Melanoma

Hello, my name is Jessica, and I am creating this GoFundMe for my dear friend, Nicole. We’ve known each other for over half of our lives, and I can say with certainty, she is a kind soul.

When I first met her, she went on multiple mission trips to help others around the world. In her business, she always donated to nonprofits and those in need, gave gift boxes for local benefit events, sponsored mental health conferences and much more. She hosted many fundraising events for various non profits as well. These are just a few examples of her caring heart. She always takes care of others, now it’s our turn to take care of her.

Nicole noticed a birthmark that was starting to change texture and color. After waiting for an appointment, she expressed her concerns at her doctor’s office and they said it was normal. After pushing to get another opinion, they agreed this was something to be referred to dermatology for. Nicole waited months for her referral call, having to contact the office a few times to check in and see when she could get an appointment. When she finally was able to get in, they took one look and agreed they needed to do a punch biopsy. When the results came back, it was confirmed she had melanoma, and she would need surgery to remove the cancer and one of her lymph nodes to see if it had spread.

The surgery went well, but the lymph node came back positive. Nicole once again had to fight for herself, as the insurance company deemed waiting over a month before they would approve her to get a PET and CT scan to see where the cancer had spread. Nicole had found out she had stage 3 metastatic melanoma, and her oncologist told her she would be doing immunotherapy for a year to start.

Nicole is always diligent about sunscreen, uses clean skincare products, and never used a tanning bed. Her doctor team thinks this occurred due to genetics. This is a not-so-gentle reminder to keep an eye on any changes on current marks on your skin, or new marks appearing. Don’t be afraid to get checked and ask questions. It could save your life! Especially because melanoma spreads rapidly.

As those who live in the US know, healthcare is expensive, and often bankrupts with lifesaving surgeries, care, cancer treatments, etc. Throughout this Nicole has remained positive, working as much as her body will let her while undergoing treatment. Though you can tell the physical and emotional toll this all has taken on her.

With your help we can ease Nicole’s burdens. Thank you for taking the time to read and we would appreciate any help! Funds received will be going towards mounting medical bills. If you can’t financially help, please support us by sharing this page with your friends and family. Thank you again.