Help Serene, Caregiver and Mom of 2, Fight Breast Cancer

My name is Serene Lee. I am a wife and a mother of 2 teenagers and a caregiver. I also have Breast Cancer. Part of my treatment is covered by Patients Assistant Program, but part is not. I need to raise $18,000 by August 8, 2025 to begin the first part of my treatment, and then an additional $34,500 for additional treatments over the course of the next 1½ years in order to have the best chance of my cancer being cured. The deadline for the second amount is December 30, 2025.

A bit about my story . . .

I have been taking care of my parents since September 2023. We renovated our house to be handicap accessible in 2022. My parents contracted COVID-19 while visiting Hong Kong, which left my father bedridden. My parents were medically escorted back to Canada, where they both have permanent resident status, and they have been living with me, my husband, and our 2 teenage children since then.

My father has multiple health problems. Not only does he have advanced Parkinson disease, but he also suffers from congestive heart failure, dementia, and myasthenia gravis. I take care of him along with a rotating team of visiting PSWs, my husband, and my teenage children.

Shortly after arriving to live with us, my mother was diagnosed with aggressive tongue cancer in November 2023. This was in addition to her previously diagnosed dementia. She survived the first cancer with surgery and radiation; unfortunately, in January 2025, she was diagnosed with lung cancer. Sadly, after enduring a course of chemotherapy treatments, she passed away on July 2, 2025.

Over the past 21 months, I have been the primary caregiver for both of my parents in our home. I worked night shifts in a grocery store so that I could take care of them during the day while helping making ends meet. Luckily, my other family members have helped to take care of them through the night, while working and going to school during the day. It has been very hard on all of us, emotionally, financially, and physically.

Recently, I discovered how hard this has been on me. I noticed a lump in my right breast on April 4, 2025. Within 2 months, it grew from an almond size to a potato size (3.8cm x 2 cm x 1.6 cm). I have since been diagnosed with HER2-positive Stage 2 Breast Cancer.

The treatment plan is to go through Herceptin plus chemotherapy treatment for 18 weeks and then surgery. Afterwards, I will have Herceptin target therapy for one year.

The oncologist informed us that adding Perjeta (an optional, but recommended, out of pocket medicine), along with Herceptin treatment, would significantly reduce the recurrence rate of HER2-positive breast cancer. Unfortunately, our family’s medical insurance does not cover Perjeta. We do not have the financial means for me to pay for this treatment.

Through this fundraising, I would like to raise funds to cover the additional cancer medication so that I have an increased chance of living to see my children into adulthood.

Goal #1: To raise $18,000 by August 8, 2025 so that I can provide the oncology team with my intention of adding Perjeta to my treatment.

Goal #2: To raise $34,500 to cover the cost of the Perjeta chemotherapy treatment for 1 year following my breast cancer surgery.

Any funds raised, in excess of $18,000, prior to August 8, 2025, will be used to offset the $34,500 cost of the post-surgery treatment.

I sincerely ask for your support and generosity to help me to achieve this goal. No matter how big or small, your help will be greatly appreciated.

Serene (Chun Ngan) Lee