Tara is our cousin, a hospital Director of Nursing who has spent her entire career caring for others. In November 2022, she was diagnosed with an aggressive form of breast cancer discovered during a routine screening mammogram. Despite her diligence with preventive care, the cancer had already spread to nearby lymph nodes.

In the nearly three years since, Tara has faced an exhausting and relentless journey, including multiple rounds of harsh chemotherapy, a bilateral mastectomy, daily radiation treatments, and several reconstructive surgeries. Each phase brought new challenges, including failed surgeries, painful recoveries, and setbacks that required starting over. Her treatments and follow-up appointments are nearly 100 miles from home, and each trip takes a toll physically, emotionally, and financially.

Through it all, Tara has continued working full-time, leading her nursing team, and caring for her aging parents, including her mom, who suffers from dementia, while also grieving the unexpected loss of her only brother. She never complains. Somehow, she finds the strength to keep showing up for everyone around her: her patients, her family, her coworkers, and her friends.

While she has made incredible progress, Tara’s cancer journey is far from over. Additional surgeries, follow-up treatments, and ongoing medication remain part of her fight. She has now exhausted her sick time and is slowly building hours back up, but even with that, the ongoing costs of her care remain a significant challenge.

The goal of this GoFundMe is simple: to lift the weight of financial worry and give Tara the chance to focus on healing without the added stress of lost income or travel expenses.

So many people have supported her along the way, and this fundraiser is one more way we can remind her that she’s not alone. Tara has carried so many people through their hardest days, and now it is our turn to carry her through hers.

We’ve set a goal of $25,000 to help Tara cover the costs of ongoing treatment, travel to and from her appointments, and the financial gaps that come with lost work time. Every donation, no matter the amount, helps bring her peace of mind and reminds her that she has a community behind her every step of the way.

This fundraiser is organized by a group of Tara’s cousins who love her deeply and want to support her during this difficult time. Your kindness, whether through reading her story, sharing it, or donating, means more than we can express, and we are so grateful for the support.