Kim Versus Cancer, Round 3
Donation protected
Kim Roman is a 41-year-old, single mother of three kids.
She is my sister and my best friend.
She hates asking for help -- we both do. But we've found ourselves in a situation that has left us with little choice.
Kim was diagnosed with Stage IV breast cancer in March 2019.
This is her third battle with breast cancer.
First time – October 2005 – Stage II – Right breast – Right Radical Mastectomy/Chemo/Tubal Ligation/on Tamoxifen for five years/Reconstruction
Second time – January 2010 – Stage II – Right Auxiliary Lymph nodes - Right Auxiliary Dissection/Hysterectomy/Femara for five years
Third time – March 2019 – Stage IV Mammary Lymph Nodes/Right Para sternum.
It's local so treating aggressively, should be beatable…if were anywhere else on top of where they found it, would just be on a medicine regime indefinitely until didn’t work anymore – - the best option now has been identified as Proton Radiation. If it works, she will be declared in remission. She will be on some kind of pill regime following this (hopefully not the shots).
The doctors have reiterated that the likelihood of recurrence is extremely high.
The five-year survival rate for stage 4 breast cancer is 22 percent. Median survival is three years. 40,000 people die every year due to advanced-stage cancers.
Kim will be receiving Proton Radiation in Baltimore. The treatment occurs every day, for 6 weeks. She will be staying at the Hope Lodge but is responsible for food, travel and other necessities. She will be working remotely part-time as much as her health allows, but will be relying on a leave donation program at our job. Unfortunately, the shared bank is critically low and there are not enough hours to cover Kim for the 6 weeks. She will be making multiple trips back to the house to see her kids and it's about a 2.5 hour drive each way.
My goal for this fundraiser is to help cushion some of this for Kim. Lord knows she has fought to live. It has been completely out of her hands - it seems like every time she gets ahead, she gets diagnosed with cancer and gets wiped out. Life is not fair, this is not fair.
Kim is the "Chief" of our little army of 9 under one roof. She keeps us all going, loves us wholly and unconditionally. She and I have been side by side, through thick and thin, through good and bad, life-altering and life-threatening, for the last 39 years and 6 days. Kim deserves the world and we hope we can get her through this as relatively unscathed as possible.
Any donations above the cost of travel and such will be used for dental bills. Chemotherapy has caused a host of issues for Kim and her insurance doesn't cover most of it because they deem it "cosmetic".
Thanks for assistance and prayers! We greatly appreciate it.
-Christy
She is my sister and my best friend.
She hates asking for help -- we both do. But we've found ourselves in a situation that has left us with little choice.
Kim was diagnosed with Stage IV breast cancer in March 2019.
This is her third battle with breast cancer.
First time – October 2005 – Stage II – Right breast – Right Radical Mastectomy/Chemo/Tubal Ligation/on Tamoxifen for five years/Reconstruction
Second time – January 2010 – Stage II – Right Auxiliary Lymph nodes - Right Auxiliary Dissection/Hysterectomy/Femara for five years
Third time – March 2019 – Stage IV Mammary Lymph Nodes/Right Para sternum.
It's local so treating aggressively, should be beatable…if were anywhere else on top of where they found it, would just be on a medicine regime indefinitely until didn’t work anymore – - the best option now has been identified as Proton Radiation. If it works, she will be declared in remission. She will be on some kind of pill regime following this (hopefully not the shots).
The doctors have reiterated that the likelihood of recurrence is extremely high.
The five-year survival rate for stage 4 breast cancer is 22 percent. Median survival is three years. 40,000 people die every year due to advanced-stage cancers.
Kim will be receiving Proton Radiation in Baltimore. The treatment occurs every day, for 6 weeks. She will be staying at the Hope Lodge but is responsible for food, travel and other necessities. She will be working remotely part-time as much as her health allows, but will be relying on a leave donation program at our job. Unfortunately, the shared bank is critically low and there are not enough hours to cover Kim for the 6 weeks. She will be making multiple trips back to the house to see her kids and it's about a 2.5 hour drive each way.
My goal for this fundraiser is to help cushion some of this for Kim. Lord knows she has fought to live. It has been completely out of her hands - it seems like every time she gets ahead, she gets diagnosed with cancer and gets wiped out. Life is not fair, this is not fair.
Kim is the "Chief" of our little army of 9 under one roof. She keeps us all going, loves us wholly and unconditionally. She and I have been side by side, through thick and thin, through good and bad, life-altering and life-threatening, for the last 39 years and 6 days. Kim deserves the world and we hope we can get her through this as relatively unscathed as possible.
Any donations above the cost of travel and such will be used for dental bills. Chemotherapy has caused a host of issues for Kim and her insurance doesn't cover most of it because they deem it "cosmetic".
Thanks for assistance and prayers! We greatly appreciate it.
-Christy
Organizer
Christy Gilliland
Organizer
Lexington Park, MD