#PeaceOutCancer for Michele Tupen

Family and Friends,

My name is Kyla and I have had the tremendous blessing of friendship with Michele and Cris Tupen for a while now. The first time I met Michele it was very evident that she was living her life with a deep and meaningful purpose. She is one of the precious people that make you pause and pay close attention. Her joy filled spirit, her heart overflowing with kindness and mercy, and her compassion for others are what makes her shine, but at the very core of who she is, she seeks Jesus and His glory in everything she does. I’ve never met anyone like Michele…her whole heart, mind and soul are fiercely focused on God and she is not afraid to do battle for Him. She stands firm on His promises and shouts His glory every time and everywhere she can.

Cris and Michele are both deeply invested in our community and one of their biggest passions is to serve others. They do this through their church, as chaplains for the police department, teaching health and wellness for Revelation Wellness, teaching classes for Evolve Fitness, as business owners of Light and Wonder Yoga, and so much more. They tirelessly give of their time and energy and have made such a huge impact on countless numbers of people. Their life story is powerful and God is using it as a testimony of love, grace and redemption.

In July of 2023, Michele was diagnosed with stage 2A breast cancer in her left breast. This diagnosis brings with it a long journey full of chemotherapy, surgery, radiation, medication, travel, and much more. At this time, she has already received 3 of the 8 planned chemo’s (one chemo every other week) and if all goes well, she will have surgery possibly in January of 2024, followed by radiation. I share with Michele and Cris’s permission that her specific kind of cancer is invasive ductal carcinoma, which is the most common type of breast cancer, but is aggressive. Michele has a fantastic team of doctors working with her both here in Moses Lake and in Seattle at Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center and feels confident that she is receiving excellent care.

It’s hard to be on the receiving side when your heart is so focused on giving like Michele and Cris’s are. I have been asked many times in the past month how people can help them during this time. So, a group of friends got together and decided that one way many people can help would be through a Go Fund Me page. While insurance will cover some of Michele’s journey, it will not cover all of it. Funds raised would go towards any medial expenses not covered by insurance, travel expenses, the possibility of a specialized surgery that is not covered by insurance, and any incidentals along the way. Donations would also go towards helping them bridge the gap of living expenses as Michele is not able to work during this time. They would be so blessed not only by financial gifts but also by prayer and encouragement.

There are so many ways that family and friends have already reached out to support Michele and Cris. Meals, text messages, cards, gifts, flowers, prayers and so much more have meant the world to them! They are truly humbled by the outpouring of support that is happening! Thank you for showing them BIG love!

One additional way to support them is through signing up to provide meals through this meal train link.

https://www.mealtrain.com/trains/ekgyz2?utm_source=postmark&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=lnk-train-view-t-create

Thank you for considering this opportunity to bless Michele and Cris!