Megan's Fight Against Post-Partum Breast Cancer

Hello, my name is Aunt Ceil. I am fundraising to help Megan Harley Tammela (she is related to me by my family, the Diamond Family of Philadelphia and New York). Megan is my sister Cathy Diamond's daughter. I want to share Megan's story in her own words, which I will do in this posting.

 

Megan tried to become a Mommy for years. She and Jay did many medical procedures to finally have a son, Liam, who is now 2 yrs old, and baby Mila who is four months old. Megan is a wonderful, loving Mom, wife, sister, daughter, niece, cousin, and friend. Megan had never heard of Post Partum Breast Cancer before, and neither did 99% of our family and friends. Yet, she was never made aware of its existence by her OB/GYN. Nor was the lump in her breast taken seriously by the doctor when Megan had her six-week checkup after baby Mila's birth. The breast lump was felt during the exam but chalked off to breastfeeding. When Megan called and told her OB/GYN of her concern about the lump growing in size, the OB/GYN requested an ultrasound as "routine". There was no sense of urgency which is sad and scary for all women with breast lumps. Routine means no STAT...it means you wait for an opening which can be a month wait if not longer. Megan has breast cancer. Post-Partum breast cancer. If you google it, you will read how serious it is and how the odds are 3x more against women with it.

 

We are fundraising to help Megan, Jay, baby Mila and Liam, with daily living and medical expenses. Megan told me, "All I want is to live to see my babies grow up after everything I went through to have them."

 

MEGAN'S STORY by Megan Harley Tammela - March 18, 2022

“Having fertility issues for years always made me worry about being an older parent. Would I have enough time with them? Would I be able to have enough time with my grandkids? Never in a million years did I think I would be questioning if I would make it to their first birthday or the first day of kindergarten. But, unfortunately, this is the reality that I'm left to face now. Breast cancer doesn't discriminate, and it doesn't care that you’re a new mommy and your babies still need you. I wish I had known about postpartum breast cancer and the signs. So I chalked off my lump to be associated with my trying to breastfeed as that is how my doctor treated it.

 

The same postpartum body that gave me my two babies is now trying to kill me. This type of Breast Cancer is aggressive and is rarely treatable, so I'm left praying for a miracle. But, I would do it all again even if it meant the same diagnosis to see their faces for one more day.

 

It's going to be a difficult road ahead for my family. Jay is an amazing father but I'm sure he is going to need all the help he can get being left with two small children. So please keep us in your prayers during this time.”