Supporting Karen on her path to Recovery

Hi, I’m Codey. I’ve had the privilege of standing beside Karen through what has easily been the hardest year of her life. Saying she’s been through a lot barely scratches the surface. It’s been one challenge after another, yet she’s kept moving forward stubborn as ever even when the road got really tough.

Karen was diagnosed in September 2024 with Stage 2, Grade 3 invasive ductal carcinoma. Her subtype, luminal B, means it’s hormone receptor positive but more aggressive and faster-growing than some others. Because of this, her treatment had to be intense: surgery in November, chemotherapy from January to March, then 20 rounds of radiation. Now she’s starting long-term hormone therapy. There’s still a lot ahead, including the possibility of another surgery.

She faced all of this quietly, enduring severe allergic reactions to chemo, intense pain, crushing fatigue, nausea, and a taste bud rebellion (everything was either way too sweet or metallic). Radiation left her burned and drained, but even on her worst days, she showed up and pushed through.

Recovery isn’t over. Karen still struggles with fatigue, brain fog, neuropathy, and hormone therapy side effects. Her oncology team has advised she stay off work to recover physically and mentally, with a return unlikely before January 2026. On top of that, chemo weakened her teeth, so she needs urgent dental care that isn’t covered by insurance just another stress added to the pile.

This year has been challenging for our family as well. I had surgery earlier this year and have been off work while doing physiotherapy to recover. Our beloved dog Hudson who had been part of our family for years passed away recently after struggling with age-related health issues. That loss has hit hard, and all of these things have added to the emotional and financial strain we’re facing.

That’s why we’re reaching out. We want Karen to focus fully on healing without the constant worry about money. Funds will go toward:

-Catching up on bills and basic living expenses

-Urgent dental care and treatments not covered by insurance

-Out-of-pocket costs like medications and medical appointments

-Travel and parking expenses for treatments and appointments

-Nutrition to support recovery and overall health

-Physiotherapy and therapies like acupuncture to manage side effects

-Any future medical needs, including possible surgery

-Household expenses to ease daily stress while she heals

Every donation big or small means the world. If you can’t donate, sharing this campaign helps more than you know.

Karen has done everything asked of her. Now she deserves the time and support to truly heal.

Thank you for your kindness and support.

Codey