Help support my mother’s breast cancer journey

Hello! I am Alicia and I am raising funds to support my mother as she fights breast cancer.

The cover photo in this fundraiser was taken 17 days after her breast cancer diagnosis, at my baby shower in Vancouver. Two days later she had a lumpectomy to remove the cysts and cancer from her breast. She had the same smile on her face as the nurses wheeled her away from me and into the surgical centre. That’s her, always positive, always smiling.

I live in London and am expecting twins in a few weeks. It’s unbelievably hard to be so far away and unable to support her while she goes through this journey alone. Please help me show her she is not alone in fighting this.

Here are a few words from my mother:

Do I Dare to Dream?

My name is Kim and I have breast cancer. My daughter is helping put this fundraiser together for me! I am incredibly indebted and thankful for all her help with this! This project is a labour of love....

I am a mother of 2, a grandmother of 3 amazing grandchildren and awaiting the arrival of my daughter’s twins! How exciting is that!

I work with children with special needs who require extra support and have worked with children for 30+ years. I love my job! I love what I do! I thrive on building positive, loving relationships within firm boundaries with the children I support. We celebrate the small successes as well as the big ones....I’m currently on medical leave and can’t wait to get back once we beat this.

Our Goal & How Your Donation Will Help

$5, $10, $20, $50, $100 or any amount you wish to donate would be totally appreciated, extremely kind, generous and thoughtful.

I am not eligible for my workplace Long Term Disability because I’m over 65! Unfortunately, no matter the length of service, if you are over 65 you are not eligible for Long Term Disability. I won’t share with you what I think about that!

$12,500 in support will cover March 1st to September 1st 2024. It is during this time when I will need the most help as I will have limited funds for rent, food, utilities and extended health payments. CPP and OAS will help, however, it is not enough to live on here in Vancouver!

I cannot stress this enough.....I am grateful for any and all support - no matter how small. All is welcome with much gratitude. Please note* There is a Go Fund Me Transaction Fee - 2.9% plus $0.30 automatically deducted from each donation.

Diagnosis

I was diagnosed with breast cancer on August 9/23, met with the surgeon on August 15/23 and had surgery on August 28/23. My surgeon was Dr. Warburton, she somehow reminded me of Tim Burton and then Edward Scissor Hands - yah, that’s my quirky sense of humour at work here...

After surgery, I developed a massive hematoma, (which I thought was normal - so not!) and lymphatic vessel cording. Apparently, the type of breast cancer I have, only 2% of people get. Thankfully it was caught early and had not spread...So so very grateful!

Chemo (BRAJDC) started October 19/23. I have 3 more chemo treatments before radiation begins in February 2024. The 2nd chemo treatment was November 9/23 and the 3rd chemo treatment will be November 30/23. My symptoms with chemo (so far) have not at all been what I expected. Major debilitating migraine like headaches, insomnia, aching bones, neuropathy, hair loss (of course) and asthma from the injections. During treatment I must wear frozen gel mitts to prevent my fingernails from falling out.

The staff at BC Cancer, Mount Saint Joseph and #505 has blown me away. Their commitment to cancer patients (in my experience) has been a true miracle! Unbelievable amounts of kindness, empathy, humour, expertise and passion. I’m extremely thankful and grateful to all the wonderful amazing people I have met these past few months and to all my family and friends for their support. I’m also in the process of connecting with Inspire Health - for ongoing free cancer support. Can’t say enough.....

I am being treated by 2 oncologists, (one who has the most amazing shoes - I think they are John Fluevog). They mentioned my immune system needs to be strong before returning to work, especially because I work one-on-one with children. It will take time to build up my immunity after chemo and radiation, hence their recommendation to take time off for up to a year commencing from my surgery date. Being proactive and advocating for others is way easier than advocating for oneself! Finally, I am learning how to empower and advocate for myself! It’s about time....

Thank you!

Once again....Thank you! Thank you! Thank you! Thank you in advance for all your support! Thank you for listening! I feel the love and am soooooo grateful to be alive! I could not do this without your support!

***We Got This***