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<div>Hello, my name is Jess. 
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<div>My beautiful friends encouraged me to share my story and ask for help. I’m raising funds for my unexpected out-of-pocket medical expenses as I need financial help right now for living expenses, food and ongoing medical expenses - $13, 000. 
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<div>I’ve already spent close to $5000 seeing specialists, surgeons, undergoing imaging and a biopsy. While I have health insurance that covers medically necessary breast surgery and reconstruction, the reality is I’ll be out-of-pocket nearly $18,000, not including additional related costs. I really appreciate you taking the time to read my story.
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<div>I am 39 years old and had a benign breast mass (PASH) removed in 2020. Due to my strong family history of breast cancer, I had genetic testing performed at that time, which showed I am not a BRCA gene carrier. Supposedly I am at no higher risk of breast cancer than the average person. Still, I took out a higher level of health insurance following that surgery for peace of mind, hoping I'd be covered if anything ever happened. 
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<div>My annual breast screening in 2025, found multiple areas of concern in my right breast. After receiving those results from my breast cancer surgeon, I was scheduled for a stereotactic (mammogram-guided) biopsy but unfortunately, I fainted during this procedure as it was so uncomfortable and painful. I was rescheduled for the biopsy and with support from my dad and a best friend, I made it through.
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<div>In mid-May I received my biopsy results; 
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<div>High-grade solid and comedo DCIS (Ductal Carcinoma In Situ)  
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<div>ER: Negative, 2+
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<div>PR: Negative 
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<div>HER2 IHC: Positive, 3+
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<div>My breast cancer surgeon recommended that I undergo a double mastectomy, sentinel lymph node biopsy and breast reconstruction. Clusters of micro-calcifications were discovered throughout the breast, which weren't picked up on the initial images. These areas are each about 4mm and are widespread, so difficult to biopsy them all. 
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<div>As per my diagnosis I was referred to see a psychiatrist as protocol for a young woman undergoing double mastectomy. I was also referred to a fertility specialist to arrange for egg collection as soon as possible and began a $10,000 egg-freezing cycle, some of which is not rebated. I had an MRI to check for spread to my nipple and I saw the plastic surgeon to discuss reconstruction options.  
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<div>The day had come when I was told I needed to have both of my breasts removed. I was shocked and felt physically ill. I have been an emotional mess and have found it extremely difficult to process all the information being delivered. I haven’t been able to work my full-time hours as I have been too distraught to be able to perform my duties.
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<div>A saving grace was the relief to be insured, but I was blindsided to learn the gap fees from both my breast cancer surgeon and the plastic surgeon total $17,784.40 out-of-pocket, far beyond what I can afford.
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<div>I am devastated that the time has come to make a claim through my health insurance, full stop, but to know that surgery with my breast cancer surgeon isn’t financially viable for me is shattering. I have no faith in our health insurance system. I feel abandoned. What was the point in me taking out this level of health insurance? This system is so flawed that surgeons can charge what they like, from a business perspective, and the government doesn’t help enough so that Medicare and the health insurance companies together only rebate patients like me $1589.60 (mastectomy) + $1537 (reconstruction). 
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<div>As my family and I can’t pay the out-of-pocket expenses for surgery, I have been referred to the public health system. I have started the process again to meet with surgeons to discuss my options for treatment. I don't yet know what this looks like. Potentially there will be a delay in scheduling the surgery, which is again terrifying as everything thus far has happened so fast. 
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<div>The last few weeks since I was diagnosed with DCIS have been extremely distressing. It has been an emotional rollercoaster. I haven't had the mental ability to work my full-time hours and I'm very quickly eating into the annual leave I had accrued, so I won't have leave available for my recovery period. 
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<div>I never imagined I’d be in this position, but I would be deeply grateful for any support. I know there are so many other people requiring financial aid, but in this moment, I feel so vulnerable and fragile being forced into this unjust health insurance system. Every donation will help with medical costs, living expenses, and buying time to heal emotionally and physically.
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<div>Thank you for taking the time to read this.
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<div>With love,
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<div>Jess x
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Joe Muraca

Leeanne Thomas

Margaret Dewar

Ania Wybieralska

Amy Saunders

Karen Lewis

Anonymous

Maddison Gardner

Stella Gini

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Danielle Fogarty

Tatiana Ikasovic

Maria Cecilia Massoni Passos

Jo Hatcher

Leah Wright

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Sandra Connolly

Help Jess Heal

platform

Platform is iOS

Android

Adyen Google Pay Development Audience

$opt_dummy_attribute

English only

Deprecate Stripe Legacy

dyn_template_ids

Adyen V6 Bene Transfer & MyMoney Campaign Organizers - test01

Bene transfer V6 and AdyenV6MyMoney Campaign Organizers - production

OneTrust next-app audience

fundCountryCode

NextDoor Share Option Users

Fundraisers with Reactions feature capability

fundCurrencyCode

US + Non-charity COs Only

locale

fund country is US and user language is English

personId

comms-internal-person-ids

Enhanced Story Experience Users

Suggested Goal Experience Users

user language is English and fund country: US, AU, DK, FI, IE, NO, SE, CA, GB; 

Poster share - new funds eligible (newest 9/18)

Streaming widgets beta user

paymentProcessor

3DS payment method

user language is English and fundCountry: US, AU, DK, FI, IE, NO, SE, CA, GB; 

currencyCode

Money Box Donation List Prompt Experiment Audience

GoFundMe Employees

ipAddress

Mark Rieth IP Address

Version 9.2.0 and above

Fund is in English speaking country

desktop

Android v12.11.0 and above

Platform is Android

paymentMethodType

checkoutType

Payment method type group to be vaulted on success

admin pr kit prod

EUR Donation Upsell

Share Text generation Skip Fundraiser

(prod) new funds eligible for amp12 (UGC gallery)

fintrac_cad_idv_form_v2 audience

paymentProcessorAccountId

fallback mode accounts

proCampaignId

p2p legacy startfundraising page

AMP24 New Funds Only PROD (DO NOT MODIFY)

countryCode

charityId

UKCharities

Federated Search Internal Testing

route.pathname community

US Donation Upsell audience 

Auto Thanks Feature Audience

Supporter Comments Eligible Funds

International Only

fundId

braze fundraiser group 

Payment Identity Transfers ATO Risk Check (Targeted) - Production

Fundraiser Saved Payment Method Rate Limit Bypass (Production)

leaderboard-partner-id-audience-givepanel

Version 9.2.1 and above

AUD Donation Upsell audience

fundraiserCountryCode is US/EN

Active Fundraiser - Smart Default Cadence

DAF Internal

Vault on success card payment method

Platform is iOS v11.0.0 and above

Desktop users

Person ids

United States (US) users

allow yuno fundraisers for test

Mexico country code

Posters INTL

NPO Profile Opted-In

iOS at or above 12.4.0

non-US recurring donors

Canada Campaign Owner Group

Fundraiser Without Meta Link

Scheduler payment tester gorup

charityCommunityId

Charities allow to be claimed unclaimed (PRD)

Canada (CA) users

UC Tipping v20250115 International

pymk_production_xplr_fe_team

Android at or above 12.2.0

Profile photo entry point audience

smart goals (fundraiser/manage) on test01

Activity Tracking v1 Beta Testing

start gfm intl allowed locales

Platform is iOS v11.2.0 and above

NPO upsell education category

unclaimed charities

prod_ach_audience

AI Chatbot Audience

amp13 only new funds (prod) (anyword auto)

UC Flow Enabled (Prod)

Payment Identity Beneficiary Verification - Production

shared notification bell audience

Custom users

ach frontend audience

Android v11.0.0 and above

Users Receiving Payments Paused Notifications

smart goals test01

Manage Coach - US English Organizers Only + new funds only

Team EGG - IP Address list

NPO recommendations prod

Fundraiser Without Instagram Deep Link

Native 11.4.0 and above

UC Tipping v20250107

Users Receiving Braze KYC Validation Failed

Native 11.3.0 and above

ai_title_page

anyword

openai

control

manual_entry

userEmail

template_id

userId

fundUrl

isCharityCo

email

appVersion

shouldBucketIntoExperiment

partnerId

donationCadence

isActiveFundraiser

isPartner

isMobile

npoProfileOptIn

fundIsLinkedWithMeta

hasSessionDonation

categoryGroup

isCampaignOwner

fundHasInstagramDeepLink

Native 11.4.0 and higher

New funds eligible - Video Sharing (PROD)

GB Donation Upsell audience 

Auto Thanks V3 Rollout Audience

Thank you V3 testing whitelist

isRecurringFriendly

Is Recurring Friendly

Excluded funds - Video Sharing

NPO upsell animals category

NPO upsell disaster relief category

Logged In Users

CH Donation Upsell audience

Android v10.6.0 and above

NPO upsell essential needs category

NPO upsell medical category

userCurrencyCode

Localized Currency

NPO upsell cancer category

v11.5.0 and above

testAudience

pathname

Survicate

appVersion is at or above 12.8.0

Non-charity fund

isChallengeFundraiser

challenge-fundraisers

Payment Identity Launch Verification - Production

New funds eligible - Posters v2

CAD Donation Upsell Audience

Braze Email Tester

NPO Profile Opted-Out

iOS App Version

hasKnownDonors

PYMK has donors

iOS v12.3.0 and above

Just $806$ to go! Make an impact.

Help Jess Heal

Just $806 to go!
Make an impact.