Give Hope: Stage IV Treatment for Christina
Donation protected
This page is dedicated to rallying support to save the life of my best friend, 30 year old Christina Zajicek.
UPDATE - January 22nd, 2020.
Christina’s stage-4 breast cancer has taken an aggressive turn in the last two weeks and she is fighting for her life.
It has rapidly evolved into “Aggressive Pulmonary Lymphangitic Cancer – Stage 4”, which has spread throughout her lungs, and a spot on her liver. So aggressive that two weeks ago, she displayed no symptoms and now she's hooked up to oxygen to function.
Lungs. Liver. Bones.
And THERE IS STILL HOPE.
Christina is STILL FIGHTING.
Together, we can STILL SAVE HER LIFE.
The radical treatment course for Christina's rare and complex cancer will cost her $70,000 out of pocket. It is not covered by insurance.
She is going to take a loan out so there aren’t delays (because every day counts), but she needs our help in offsetting (and at best fully covering) these expenses.
We – a collection of family, friends, and loved ones of all kinds who are fighting alongside her – are asking you to invest in her life by donating and sharing her GoFundMe page far and wide until the campaign has raised $100,000.
For those who contributed already, we thank you and are eternally grateful. For those who make a second donation, there are no words to express the impact you’re making.
Will you contribute and share today?
Please, support this incredibly brave, beautiful woman in her quest to live. Give what you can, and then please spread the word far and wide by pressing the SHARE button at the bottom of this page.
Info on Christina's cutting-edge treatment plan, which is her best hope of saving her life:
Christina started two forms of chemo on Jan 21st 2020 and is working with her doctors on transferring care to a clinic in Vienna Austria in early February, where she will receive chemo concurrently with immunotherapy. Her team is comprised of the best oncologists in the world and they’ve seen success cases that show this multi-modality approach to be very promising in lowering tumor burden, and training her T cells to recognize and fight against cancer antigens.
Simply put, Immunotherapy provides a long term plan of cancer protection, rather than just the “spray and pray" approach of solely chemotherapy.
Due to FDA regulations, it may not be possible for her to pursue this treatment in the U.S. where she would be able to in Europe.
**Quote from Christina - 1/22/20**
"I am more than the composition of broken strands of DNA and cells and blood and bones and stardust. I am the composite of 31 years of love, joy, heartbreak, glasses of red wine, deep belly laughs, 35 countries traveled solo, all contained in an otherwise strong, vibrant, and healthy body that only one month ago was capable of completing one of the top ten most dangerous hikes in the world.
I am more than cancer, and more than a statistic, and I am HELLBENT on getting many more trips around the sun on this spinning rock.
I have been referred to as extremely resourceful, scrappy, a pitbull, and full of moxie by friends and co-workers.
My CBCs and metabolic panels, diet, energy levels, spirit, exercise regimen, and social and medical support team (shout out to my current primary medical oncologist, Dr. Virginia Borges at University of Colorado) all rock, even with Stage 4 cancer, so I got a lot of positives in my court.
So, take that *with an emphatic middle finger*, cancer!
Thank you for reading this update. And just an endless supply of gratitude for being on my team through this colossally unfair, shitty life circumstance.
Thank you, thank you, thank you…with every cell in this still breathing, still alive, and still hopeful body, heart, mind, and spirit."
– Christina Zajicek
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April 10th, 2019 Update
Christina is a vibrant, strong and otherwise completely healthy young woman who spent much of 2017 battling an unexpected diagnosis of aggressive Stage II Breast Cancer (ER+, PR+, HER2-). She underwent vigorous treatment: 16 rounds of chemo, 31 rounds of radiation, and 5 surgeries including a double mastectomy and reconstruction. Since then, Christina has been on a regimen of hormone blocking medications and working on getting back to a new normal- writing a book, excelling in her career, traveling, and mentoring other individuals in the breast cancer community!
Unfortunately, Christina's journey took another unexpected turn this April.
After feeling somewhat off, a CT scan revealed that the cancer has metastasized to her bones in multiple areas. This new diagnosis of Stage IV Breast Cancer with Bone Metastasis (ER+, PR-, HER2-) is especially difficult, as it has mutated into an even more aggressive form, with lower prognosis. Christina is coming to terms with the new inability to carry children, and will be managing her disease as a lifelong, chronic condition.
However, there is hope. Treatment includes radiation to the areas of metastasis to shrink them and control her symptoms, followed by lifelong monthly infusions and daily meds to stop further spread.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"So now I have Stage 4 cancer. I love you all, and- while the odds are not good- I am going to get married, travel the world, write a book, have a kid, and fight with every cell in my body. "
~Christina, April 10, 2019
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The road ahead is unknown and daunting, but Christina is full of optimism and tenacity-
and she urgently needs our help!
Funds raised will go toward insurmountable medical bills, making the following possible:
- Added insurance premium costs (~$16,000 annually)
Christina will be on disability indefinitely
-Genomic sequencing of tumor* ($4,000)
Help detect mutations
-Cytometric profiling of tumor* ($2,500)
Tests responsiveness of Christina's cancer to a panel of therapies
-Integrative medicine* (up to $100,000)
Includes immunotherapy treatments
- Cost of surrogate* down the road ($60,000)
Christina underwent fertility treatment and egg preservation prior to chemotherapy.
Her new medications will trigger menopause and prohibit pregnancy.
*items not covered through insurance
Christina's additional ask: spread love!
Want to do something more, or unable to give financially? Christina has asked that each donation be paired with a commitment to spread love.
"I'd like for them to commit to sending a text or giving someone a call to let them know how/why that person is valuable to them, or to the world. It could be anybody feeling lonely- a grandparent, somebody going through hard times- just a reminder to check in on them and let them know you love them. It'd be awesome to get some general good vibes going... I think that would make me the happiest."
Please, support this incredibly brave, beautiful woman in her quest to live.
Give what you can, then spread the word- hit "Share!"
UPDATE - January 22nd, 2020.
Christina’s stage-4 breast cancer has taken an aggressive turn in the last two weeks and she is fighting for her life.
It has rapidly evolved into “Aggressive Pulmonary Lymphangitic Cancer – Stage 4”, which has spread throughout her lungs, and a spot on her liver. So aggressive that two weeks ago, she displayed no symptoms and now she's hooked up to oxygen to function.
Lungs. Liver. Bones.
And THERE IS STILL HOPE.
Christina is STILL FIGHTING.
Together, we can STILL SAVE HER LIFE.
The radical treatment course for Christina's rare and complex cancer will cost her $70,000 out of pocket. It is not covered by insurance.
She is going to take a loan out so there aren’t delays (because every day counts), but she needs our help in offsetting (and at best fully covering) these expenses.
We – a collection of family, friends, and loved ones of all kinds who are fighting alongside her – are asking you to invest in her life by donating and sharing her GoFundMe page far and wide until the campaign has raised $100,000.
For those who contributed already, we thank you and are eternally grateful. For those who make a second donation, there are no words to express the impact you’re making.
Will you contribute and share today?
Please, support this incredibly brave, beautiful woman in her quest to live. Give what you can, and then please spread the word far and wide by pressing the SHARE button at the bottom of this page.
Info on Christina's cutting-edge treatment plan, which is her best hope of saving her life:
Christina started two forms of chemo on Jan 21st 2020 and is working with her doctors on transferring care to a clinic in Vienna Austria in early February, where she will receive chemo concurrently with immunotherapy. Her team is comprised of the best oncologists in the world and they’ve seen success cases that show this multi-modality approach to be very promising in lowering tumor burden, and training her T cells to recognize and fight against cancer antigens.
Simply put, Immunotherapy provides a long term plan of cancer protection, rather than just the “spray and pray" approach of solely chemotherapy.
Due to FDA regulations, it may not be possible for her to pursue this treatment in the U.S. where she would be able to in Europe.
**Quote from Christina - 1/22/20**
"I am more than the composition of broken strands of DNA and cells and blood and bones and stardust. I am the composite of 31 years of love, joy, heartbreak, glasses of red wine, deep belly laughs, 35 countries traveled solo, all contained in an otherwise strong, vibrant, and healthy body that only one month ago was capable of completing one of the top ten most dangerous hikes in the world.
I am more than cancer, and more than a statistic, and I am HELLBENT on getting many more trips around the sun on this spinning rock.
I have been referred to as extremely resourceful, scrappy, a pitbull, and full of moxie by friends and co-workers.
My CBCs and metabolic panels, diet, energy levels, spirit, exercise regimen, and social and medical support team (shout out to my current primary medical oncologist, Dr. Virginia Borges at University of Colorado) all rock, even with Stage 4 cancer, so I got a lot of positives in my court.
So, take that *with an emphatic middle finger*, cancer!
Thank you for reading this update. And just an endless supply of gratitude for being on my team through this colossally unfair, shitty life circumstance.
Thank you, thank you, thank you…with every cell in this still breathing, still alive, and still hopeful body, heart, mind, and spirit."
– Christina Zajicek
-------------------------------------------------------------------
April 10th, 2019 Update
Christina is a vibrant, strong and otherwise completely healthy young woman who spent much of 2017 battling an unexpected diagnosis of aggressive Stage II Breast Cancer (ER+, PR+, HER2-). She underwent vigorous treatment: 16 rounds of chemo, 31 rounds of radiation, and 5 surgeries including a double mastectomy and reconstruction. Since then, Christina has been on a regimen of hormone blocking medications and working on getting back to a new normal- writing a book, excelling in her career, traveling, and mentoring other individuals in the breast cancer community!
Unfortunately, Christina's journey took another unexpected turn this April.
After feeling somewhat off, a CT scan revealed that the cancer has metastasized to her bones in multiple areas. This new diagnosis of Stage IV Breast Cancer with Bone Metastasis (ER+, PR-, HER2-) is especially difficult, as it has mutated into an even more aggressive form, with lower prognosis. Christina is coming to terms with the new inability to carry children, and will be managing her disease as a lifelong, chronic condition.
However, there is hope. Treatment includes radiation to the areas of metastasis to shrink them and control her symptoms, followed by lifelong monthly infusions and daily meds to stop further spread.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"So now I have Stage 4 cancer. I love you all, and- while the odds are not good- I am going to get married, travel the world, write a book, have a kid, and fight with every cell in my body. "
~Christina, April 10, 2019
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The road ahead is unknown and daunting, but Christina is full of optimism and tenacity-
and she urgently needs our help!
Funds raised will go toward insurmountable medical bills, making the following possible:
- Added insurance premium costs (~$16,000 annually)
Christina will be on disability indefinitely
-Genomic sequencing of tumor* ($4,000)
Help detect mutations
-Cytometric profiling of tumor* ($2,500)
Tests responsiveness of Christina's cancer to a panel of therapies
-Integrative medicine* (up to $100,000)
Includes immunotherapy treatments
- Cost of surrogate* down the road ($60,000)
Christina underwent fertility treatment and egg preservation prior to chemotherapy.
Her new medications will trigger menopause and prohibit pregnancy.
*items not covered through insurance
Christina's additional ask: spread love!
Want to do something more, or unable to give financially? Christina has asked that each donation be paired with a commitment to spread love.
"I'd like for them to commit to sending a text or giving someone a call to let them know how/why that person is valuable to them, or to the world. It could be anybody feeling lonely- a grandparent, somebody going through hard times- just a reminder to check in on them and let them know you love them. It'd be awesome to get some general good vibes going... I think that would make me the happiest."
Please, support this incredibly brave, beautiful woman in her quest to live.
Give what you can, then spread the word- hit "Share!"
Co-organizers (2)
Jessica Loraine
Organizer
Denver, CO
Christina Zajicek
Beneficiary
David Blutenthal
Co-organizer