Help Bianca beat breast cancer

Hello family, friends, friends of friends, work colleagues, and anyone who may come across this page.

Never would I have thought I’d be writing anything of this sort. I’ve read many Gofundme pages, had a cry while reading, said a prayer for the family, donated what I could, then moved on with my day.

 

This time it hits a little different. I can’t move on from this story. Like every other individual or family who have gone through heartaches, trials and challenges in life - it can sometimes feel so overbearing and almost a little helpless.

Let me tell you a about this challenge…

Six months ago, my beautiful, independent, talented, happy go lucky, older sister was diagnosed with stage 2  aggressive breast cancer. The dreaded C word. The diagnosis with so many levels to unravel, so many directions to choose from, and so much uncertainty, has come to pay my sister a visit. But not for long, let me tell you!

Bianca is now six months into her healing journey of overcoming this diagnosis. I’ve watched my sister’s life do a complete 180, as the world she has built and loved has quickly been stripped away. I watched her regretfully resign from her dream job, as she can no longer work during rehab due to the side effects of treatment. She gave up her home, as she could no longer afford rent, and currently requires a full-time carer. 

I’ve watched Bianca go from being active and social, to barely being able to leave the house on some days. Her life has been put on a complete pause while she fights this battle, but unfortunately what we can’t pause are the medical and rehab bills, continual consult fees, and the general cost of living.

People see her on social media and tell me how great she’s looking. That’s the funny thing about social media. It’s what no one sees, the stuff that you’d never post — that’s how things really are. 

The few times she gathers the energy / pushes herself to go to a social gathering to see her loved ones and feel normal again, it takes a day or even two of behind-the-scenes prepping, pausing medications to avoid side effects for that day etc. to go out and feel herself again for just a couple of hours. Not to mention the two to three days it takes her to recover from expending so much energy. 

But that’s not to say she’s not doing great. Bianca is doing fantastic, she’s on a healing journey, she’s a fighter and this will all be a distant memory soon — but it doesn’t mean it’s easy.

I watch my sister worry about so many things…What if it doesn’t work? What if we’re doing it wrong? What if it’s bigger or it’s spread?

Things that we don’t really have the answers to right now. 

Then there’s the financial stresses of it all… 

Once I do heal and this is all over,  how will I repay this debt? How soon can I get back to work so I can be independent again?

I watch Bianca navigate all of this very powerfully. She inspires me daily. I know there’s really nothing anyone can say or do to help my sister feel any different while she’s going through this journey, but I do know there’s one burden we can help relieve, and hence why I created this page. 

I love my sis so much, and the purpose of this page is to support her healing journey by assisting her financially where possible.  If you’ve made it this far, thank you for taking the time to read her story. 

With lots of love and gratitude our entire family thanks you from the bottom of our hearts.