Help Nicole Beat Cancer

This past month, my best friend Nicole Budd was diagnosed with Stage 4 Primary mediastinal B-cell Lymphoma-- a rare type of non-Hodgkin lymphoma which primarily affects young adults. Niki’s life changed on August 19th, when she suddenly found herself in the ER with terrible pains and difficulty breathing. The doctors at her local hospital in Kodiak, Alaska diagnosed her with a lymphoma, and she was soon transferred to Anchorage where she could see an oncologist and undergo a biopsy and other tests. Over the last few weeks she has consistently needed fluid drained from around her heart and lungs to help her breath and avoid the need for heart surgery. She has been referred to Memorial Sloan Kettering in New York to continue treatment of her Stage 4 lymphoma cancer, but was too ill to be transferred before beginning chemotherapy. Two weeks ago she began her first round of chemotherapy, and will return to New York on September 14th, where she will receive optimal care at Memorial Sloan Kettering and be supported by family and friends during this unprecedented time. Her doctors have predicted a minimum six-month treatment.


This has come as a huge shock to Niki and everyone in her life. Niki is a healthy and active 23 year old. She was raised on Long Island, New York, and went to Plainview-Old Bethpage John F. Kennedy High School. She achieved her dream of moving to Alaska in 2017, where she has learned to love hiking, camping, fishing, and life outdoors. Niki currently lives on Kodiak Island, Alaska. She is passionate about her job doing trail work/maintenance with Alaska State Parks and working to improve the Kodiak community that she loves. She lives with her partner Conner and their two dogs Philomena and Kid, who will be joining Niki in New York as soon as possible. 


We hope that the funds raised will help Niki adjust to this unexpected change in her life. The total of $15,000 is estimated costs to help her cover moving and living expenses for the next year, so that she can focus on her treatment and battling cancer. Thank you so much to everyone who is able to contribute!