We first met Susan when she was a volunteer who coordinated the adoption of our cats. She sent a friendly text to follow up a few days later, which turned into more friendly texts and eventually she was driving several hours to deliver a homemade birthday cake, helping us drywall a bedroom, and babysitting our toddler. Anyone who knows Susan has a story like that, where she went out of her way to take care of someone (or some small animal) who needed it. We are launching this fundraiser because it's a chance for us to be there for her the way she's always been there for everyone else.

In February, Susan was diagnosed with Ductal Carcinoma In Situ (DCIS) We are very lucky that it was caught so early and, as far as we can know right now, is currently stage 0 (though that could change after the full pathology report.)

While we hope it will remain at stage 0, there is a strong risk that this type of cancer can grow quickly. Treatment would require surgery and then five days a week of radiation treatment for an extended period, and even then there would still be a high chance of recurrence for the rest of her life. Given her options, Susan has chosen to undergo a double mastectomy with reconstruction. She is confident in this plan, and very eager to have the cancer out of her body.

Her surgery will be in April, and will have a significant recovery period afterward. We are organizing this fundraiser to help with some of the expenses, so Susan can focus on getting better. Specifically, any donations will go towards:

-Medical expenses, including the cost of the surgery itself; this surgery will happen while Susan is transitioning jobs over the summer, so there are some additional costs with her COBRA insurance

-Her husband Brent will need to take some unpaid leave from work for several weeks to take care of Susan during recovery, so donations will help cover some of the income they will be losing while he helps her

-Some home adaptations to make it easier for Susan to do day-to-day tasks during recovery (such as showering), and some smaller recovery items and medications

-Some prepared meals and groceries to keep everyone fed during recovery (while they deeply appreciate offers of meals, Susan and Brent's vegan diet can make coordinating food difficult; financial contributions are the most helpful, since that will let them get food and groceries they know fit into their diet)

Thank you everyone for taking the time to read and especially to share this. We love you, Susan. We'll end on a note from Susan and Brent:

“Many people have kindly reached out asking how they can help, and we are incredibly touched by the support. Please know that we do not expect anyone to contribute unless they are in a comfortable financial position to do so. Your kind thoughts, messages, and check-ins mean just as much to us and are deeply appreciated. We are so grateful for the love, support, and community surrounding us during this time. Thank you for helping us focus on healing.”

-Nick and Carrie