Jennifer Lau Fundraiser

Two years ago, we had the pleasure of meeting Jennifer Lau while interviewing her for a Physician Assistant position within our Cardiac Electrophysiology department. We immediately fell in love with Jenn and welcomed her into our EP family at Kaiser Permanente. She had recently completed her dream of becoming a Physician Assistant after seven years of rigorous undergraduate and graduate studies and was excited to finally begin her career as a PA with our team. We have enjoyed working with Jenn as a colleague over the past two years - watching her grow, and being part of her life, as she pursued further lifetime dreams and ambitions. She was looking forward, to paying off her student loan debt, and recently started dating with the hope of one day starting a family. We laughed and cried together as she shared these experiences with us, but were always confident that she would eventually meet the right person to share her life with. None of us had ever imagined, that at the age of 32, she would receive a terminal diagnosis that would change everything.

Last November, Jenn was diagnosed with stage IV metastatic breast cancer with metastasis to the liver and spine. She was given a prognosis of 3-5 years and told that treatment would be primarily palliative, to slow progression of the cancer, and hopefully prolong her life. She is currently undergoing 18 weeks of chemotherapy, followed by lifelong immunotherapy for suppression.

Since Jenn’s diagnosis, it has been heartwarming to see the outpouring of support from her PA colleagues, physicians, and staff at Kaiser Santa Clara. The sick leave hours donated thus far on her behalf will help to cover the minimum hours required to retain employment and continue her medical coverage through Kaiser Permanente as she undergoes chemotherapy and further medical care.

Jenn loves being a PA and is one of the most compassionate and caring providers on our team. She desperately misses her work with patients and plans to return to practice, after chemotherapy, if only on a part-time basis, for as long as her health allows. Coverage of rent and living expenses, however, will be challenging with a part-time income. At such an early stage in her career, Jenn has minimal savings to fall back on. Much of her paychecks went toward paying the $130,000 of student loan debt she owed and helping her parents. Added to this hardship, is a painful uncertainty of whether she will be able to maintain her medical benefits through Kaiser and cover the cost of long-term care once her condition deteriorates.

It’s been a little over two months since Jenn left on medical leave and we all miss her terribly. She is not only an incredibly brilliant and caring practitioner but a source of constant joy to all who work with her. Despite her tough journey ahead, Jenn’s joy continues to radiate through her laughter, her positivity, and her extraordinary courage.

This GoFundMe fundraiser is being established to help alleviate some of Jenn’s financial burdens and to ensure that she has the best possible quality of life during her battle with breast cancer.

On behalf of Jenn's PA and NP colleagues in Cardiac Electrophysiology, thank you for your generosity, love, and support.

Meghan McCarty, PA-C, MPH, MSPAS

Annie Kwan, PA-C

Dora Hsu, NP, FNP-BC, DNP

Amanda Chan, PA-C, MPA

Leeann Vrabel, PA-C, MSPAS