Medical Coverage Assistance for Our Roxanne
Donation protected
IMPORTANT NEWS - WE ARE CONTINUING THIS FUNDRAISER UNDER A NEW PLATFORM, MIGHTYCAUSE. PLEASE MAKE ALL FUTURE CONTRIBUTIONS THERE AND NOT HERE. (I am leaving this here until Roxanne is able to withdraw all her funds, then this will come down.)
The reason for the platform change is that GoFundMe does not allow multiple donations from the same donor who wants to contribute more than once, and this is a critical part of the campaign since the goal is to cover Roxanne's COBRA expenses throughout the next year during COVID. Also, it's easier for her to access her funds as needed through MightyCause.
Thanks to many loving and generous friends and even people who do not even know Roxanne (!), every dollar helped us reach the starter goal of $1000 - in less than 24 hours! It then surpassed the next goal of $2000 in less than 24 hours! Please know that every dollar is helping Roxanne meet her crucial medical expenses without having to return to her workplace full-time during COVID when her immune system is low from chemo in order to get medical coverage at Stage 4!
Roxanne is in disbelief and grateful to tears, and so are we all. THANK YOU!!! She wants to thank each person privately, so if you are an anonymous donor and don't mind letting Roxanne (not the public) know who you are, please IM me (Laurie Wasielewski) and I'll pass along the information. If you do not want her to know, we will respect your wishes!
Because GoFundMe does not allow multiple donations from the same donor nor from its sponsor (me) (two major flaws), I am searching for another platform that will allow us to do so. In the meantime, I am increasing our goals so that others can contribute to her continued her medical coverage during this crucial time. Stay tuned if we change platforms!
For those who don't know the story, this ongoing fundraiser is on behalf of my dear friend of 45 years, Roxanne. She has had one cancer battle after another and always worked full time through all of it, not asking anyone for help.
At age 37, Roxanne got diagnosed with breast cancer Stage 3. She had experimental chemo, radiation, and a mastectomy while taking care of 12 and 8 year old daughters and continuing to work. She moved to Mass. when she was 54 and works as a nurse at UMASS as a triage nurse.
At age 55 she was diagnosed with tongue cancer (never smoked, totally unrelated to first cancer) and had half of her tongue removed and went back to work when she could talk a more clearly. She had just met her now husband John who has held her hand all the way this not leaving her side.
Eight months after tongue cancer, Roxanne was again diagnosed with a different breast cancer, now in the other breast, and after treatment and her second mastectomy, she went back to work.
In February 2020, Roxanne was diagnosed with incurable Stage 4 breast cancer (related to her first breast cancer). She took leave from work and started chemo and has appointments every two weeks and cat scans every 3 months.
In May, she was positive and hospitalized for COVID. When she recovered, she resumed chemo which she will be for the rest of her life. She has been out of work for 6 months, has exhausted her short term disability, and she hopes to be accepted for long term disability.
The only medical care that covers her treatment is Cobra insurance. Her current chemo costs $20,000 a month, and in order to have it covered by Cobra, she has to pay $866 a month! This is in addition to her labs every 2 weeks and cat scans every 3 months!
She has tried to get alternative health care but It doesn't cover a lot of things including chemo. Because she is 59, she doesn't qualify for retirement. She will qualify for disability, and she will have to wait 2 years for medicare. And even though her chemo is working well at the moment, she doesn't know if she even has that long.
The only "option" to cover Roxanne's medical bills is returning to work full time at the hospital, during COVID, with a very weak immune system and debilitated from her chemo. Our health care system is very broken and we can't let this happen to Roxanne after all of the dedicated and hard work she has done working, raising her children, and fighting her cancers.
Although Roxanne has been staunchly opposed to asking for help, she is exhausted to the point where she agreed to allow us to help her via GoFundMe. Any amount you can give will be of great help, and she told me that she cannot express how thankful she is for all of her friends, family and the prayers.
The reason for the platform change is that GoFundMe does not allow multiple donations from the same donor who wants to contribute more than once, and this is a critical part of the campaign since the goal is to cover Roxanne's COBRA expenses throughout the next year during COVID. Also, it's easier for her to access her funds as needed through MightyCause.
Thanks to many loving and generous friends and even people who do not even know Roxanne (!), every dollar helped us reach the starter goal of $1000 - in less than 24 hours! It then surpassed the next goal of $2000 in less than 24 hours! Please know that every dollar is helping Roxanne meet her crucial medical expenses without having to return to her workplace full-time during COVID when her immune system is low from chemo in order to get medical coverage at Stage 4!
Roxanne is in disbelief and grateful to tears, and so are we all. THANK YOU!!! She wants to thank each person privately, so if you are an anonymous donor and don't mind letting Roxanne (not the public) know who you are, please IM me (Laurie Wasielewski) and I'll pass along the information. If you do not want her to know, we will respect your wishes!
Because GoFundMe does not allow multiple donations from the same donor nor from its sponsor (me) (two major flaws), I am searching for another platform that will allow us to do so. In the meantime, I am increasing our goals so that others can contribute to her continued her medical coverage during this crucial time. Stay tuned if we change platforms!
For those who don't know the story, this ongoing fundraiser is on behalf of my dear friend of 45 years, Roxanne. She has had one cancer battle after another and always worked full time through all of it, not asking anyone for help.
At age 37, Roxanne got diagnosed with breast cancer Stage 3. She had experimental chemo, radiation, and a mastectomy while taking care of 12 and 8 year old daughters and continuing to work. She moved to Mass. when she was 54 and works as a nurse at UMASS as a triage nurse.
At age 55 she was diagnosed with tongue cancer (never smoked, totally unrelated to first cancer) and had half of her tongue removed and went back to work when she could talk a more clearly. She had just met her now husband John who has held her hand all the way this not leaving her side.
Eight months after tongue cancer, Roxanne was again diagnosed with a different breast cancer, now in the other breast, and after treatment and her second mastectomy, she went back to work.
In February 2020, Roxanne was diagnosed with incurable Stage 4 breast cancer (related to her first breast cancer). She took leave from work and started chemo and has appointments every two weeks and cat scans every 3 months.
In May, she was positive and hospitalized for COVID. When she recovered, she resumed chemo which she will be for the rest of her life. She has been out of work for 6 months, has exhausted her short term disability, and she hopes to be accepted for long term disability.
The only medical care that covers her treatment is Cobra insurance. Her current chemo costs $20,000 a month, and in order to have it covered by Cobra, she has to pay $866 a month! This is in addition to her labs every 2 weeks and cat scans every 3 months!
She has tried to get alternative health care but It doesn't cover a lot of things including chemo. Because she is 59, she doesn't qualify for retirement. She will qualify for disability, and she will have to wait 2 years for medicare. And even though her chemo is working well at the moment, she doesn't know if she even has that long.
The only "option" to cover Roxanne's medical bills is returning to work full time at the hospital, during COVID, with a very weak immune system and debilitated from her chemo. Our health care system is very broken and we can't let this happen to Roxanne after all of the dedicated and hard work she has done working, raising her children, and fighting her cancers.
Although Roxanne has been staunchly opposed to asking for help, she is exhausted to the point where she agreed to allow us to help her via GoFundMe. Any amount you can give will be of great help, and she told me that she cannot express how thankful she is for all of her friends, family and the prayers.
Organizer and beneficiary
Laurie Sanders Wasielewski
Organizer
Northampton, MA
Roxanne Dwyer
Beneficiary