Help Support Toby Turner Blaine's Family

Family, friends, and supporters, if you can, please help by donating or share Toby’s story.  

Toby Turner Blaine, 45 years of age, was married to Brad Blaine with whom she had two beautiful daughters, (11) and (6). Two months after giving birth to her second daughter, Brad was in a fatal car accident on January 1, 2018, leaving him in a critical condition in which he did not survive.

Three months later, in April 2018, at a routine doctor’s appointment, a lump was found in Toby’s breast and she was subsequently diagnosed with Stage 4, Triple Negative, Breast Cancer. Instead of grieving for the loss of Brad, she was forced to face a fight that she was not prepared for. Through rounds of chemotherapy, scans, constant blood work, and multiple surgical interventions, she remained strong and determined as she balanced a single parent role and a full-time job to support and maintain a normal life for her daughters. During this hard time, family support helped her through as she recovered and the cancer went into remission in March 2020.

In August 2022, Toby noticed unusual swelling in her arm to find that the cancer returned. She was diagnosed with Stage 4, Triple Negative, Metastatic Breast Cancer. Toby was restarted on chemotherapy and was given Keytruda, an immunotherapy that works with the body’s immune system to help fight cancer. Unfortunately, the Keytruda worsened her condition by attacking her major organs and healthy cells, along with the cancer cells. She was admitted to the hospital for three weeks due to the debilitating effects from the medication. After being discharged home, she spent months in rehab learning to walk again.

With this recurrence, Toby was left with no choice but to request a leave of absence using her FMLA and short-term disability after depleting her PTO, vacation, and sick days. This leave lasted 7 months as a result of the many mishaps along the way. Because of the length of time, she has been denied coverage for any additional paid leave from her work company’s insurance (BCBS). She and her daughters will lose all insurance coverage on January 1, 2024, because not enough hours worked supports her eligibility for insurance.

Currently, Toby remains on weekly chemotherapy. In July, we learned the cancer began to spread. Since then, her doctor in Dallas referred her to MD Anderson in Houston where she was accepted for radiation treatment with Dr. Wendy Woodward managing her care. Her therapy plan consists of 33 treatments for 30 minutes a day. To receive treatment, she will need to remain close to the MD Anderson facility. Insurance does not provide coverage for housing so she will have to pay out of pocket. She was added to the waiting list for housing assistance but the list is long and her treatment begins August 14, 2023.

Toby’s family and I know that once the treatments are completed at MD Anderson, she will need additional treatments and more support. Please share our story. The thought of not having health insurance is heartbreaking and worrisome when we ALL want to fight her cancer so she can live to support and watch her two daughters grow. Her oldest starts middle school as a cheerleader, and her youngest starts kindergarten. We do not know of many options there are for us regarding support in payment or travel. Please help us in our fight to beat Toby’s breast cancer. All resources or help will be greatly and sincerely appreciated.