My name is Ciara Santiago, and I created this page for my best friend, since sixth grade, Alexus Catullo. At just 26 years old, she is currently undergoing chemotherapy for Stage 2,HER-2 positive, Breast Cancer. We always laughed about what terrible luck she had, but we never realized how bad things could really get. While I have always admired how independent she is, I strongly encouraged her to allow me to make this page for her, and to allow those who want to help, to do be able to do so.

I now take this time to provide some context to her story:

Her breast cancer journey began on November 4, 2020, at her annual gynecologist visit. Upon doing a breast examination, her gynecologist found a lump in her breast. She advised her to undergo a sonogram which then led to the need of a biopsy, so she did it.

On the day before New Year’s Eve, she received a phone call that would change her life forever. Her doctor called her and diagnosed her with Breast Cancer. I remember her feeling shattered, scared, and shocked. My best friend was only 26 years old, and had been on such a healthy track, how could this be true?

From her diagnosis date to January, she did further testing, which included more biopsies and MRIs. In January, she was notified that she would need chemotherapy, which affects fertility. She was strongly advised to freeze her eggs before treatment began to guarantee children in the future. The egg freezing process was gruesome, and required that she give herself injections with needles, nightly. But that wasn’t the end of it, she was thrown another wicked curve ball, in the middle of the process, when she contracted COVID. As a result of being COVID positive, she had to wait until she was negative to start egg freezing all over, from scratch, further delaying starting chemotherapy and her treatment plan.

After finally completing egg freezing, her doctors advised her to go in for surgery to remove her lump, and to avoid tumor growth. On March 4, 2021, she underwent a lumpectomy and sentinel node biopsy. Upon removing the tumor, her doctor’s regrettably informed her that she actually had stage 2 breast cancer, as her tumor had grown aggressively in only three months since diagnosis.

After removal, she began chemotherapy on April 14, 2021, with an anticipated end date of August 23, 2021. Currently, she is still undergoing chemotherapy with a long road ahead of her, including radiation and targeted drug therapy.

I have faith in her strength and know that her positive spirit, and way of making light of difficult situations will get her through this. However,  that doesn’t change the fact that since she was diagnosed, her world has been turned upside down. While she does have insurance, there are still unexpected medical costs and financial disadvantages, making this not only an emotionally and physically taxing chapter of her life, but a financial one, as well. Co-pays and egg storage alone will continue to cost even after chemotherapy is done.

Any donation is greatly appreciated and personally noticed. Thank you for supporting my best friend on her journey.