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This is the story of Katya Vyshinskaya, Lee, and Sasha Dickerson.
They are a small family in Bozeman, Montana. Katya is a Nail Artist. Every single nail she paints is a work of art. My brother, Lee, is the head custodian at Morning Star Elementary School. Sasha just started Kindergarten there this September.
In early August Katya noticed a small lump in her breast (you see where this is going) and went in for a mammogram. After a whirling if tests she found out that she had HER2+ breast cancer. Here are the most important details:
- This diagnosis landed at the end of the enrollment year for their School District funded insurance. Meaning, their deductible just reset at the start of treatments.
- This year, the insurance plan they are on increased significantly in cost.
- Katya's type of cancer is considered agressive. Consequently, her treatment consists of a combination of chemotherapy and HER-2 inhibitor medications that will make it difficult, if not impossible for her to work for at least 6 months. They will also be the holiday months, some of her most lucrative.
- Katya has tested positive for a cancer causing gene. She will require surgery to remove any part of her that would be prone to developing cancerous cells.
- Katya's mother, Alona Grechishnikova, still lives in the small mountain town of Zlatoust, where Katya grew up. She has not been able to travel to see her grandson or support her daughter. Katya, Lee, and Sasha need her now more than ever.
As a family working in the public school district and in the self-employed service industry, they barely make enough to live in this beautiful and increasingly expensive community.
They are incredibly hard workers and would not ask for help if it wasn't absolutely necessary.
Please consider giving what you can to help Katya beat cancer, get the support she needs from her family, and to allow this family to keep their home and make it to the other side of this crisis.
Organizer and beneficiary
Lee Dickerson
Beneficiary