Dear Friends and Family,

We’re reaching out on behalf of our beloved friend, Ariel. In July, at just 34 years old, Ariel received the devastating news that she has invasive ductal carcinoma, a form of breast cancer with lymph node involvement.

This life-changing diagnosis came at an already difficult time — Ariel and her husband, Justin, have been trying to conceive for the past five years, all while working tirelessly, often juggling two jobs each, to build the family they’ve long dreamed of. Now, after urgent fertility preservation, Ariel has started chemotherapy in hopes to beat cancer.

If you know Ariel, you know she’s truly one of a kind — loyal, funny, compassionate, and the first to show up when someone needs her. Now, it’s our turn to show up for her.

Ariel faces an intense medical journey ahead, including 4–6 months of chemotherapy, radiation, surgery, and reconstruction. Through it all, she continues to meet each day with courage, strength, and her signature sense of humor — inspiring all of us who love her.

While insurance will cover much of Ariel’s medical care, there are still significant out-of-pocket costs that will quickly add up for both her and Justin. Below are some of the anticipated — though not exhaustive — expenses:

Medical Expenses

Non-Medical Expenses

With these expenses in mind, we’re hoping to raise $30,000 to help ease the financial burden so Ariel can focus entirely on what matters most — healing, recovery, and holding onto the dream of building a family with Justin and their two adorable cats, Saki and Lawrence.

If donations exceed the total cost of care, Ariel and Justin plan to pay it forward by donating the remaining funds to the Breast Cancer Program Fund at the Smillow Cancer Center. Transparency is important to us and to them — we’ll be sharing updates on how funds are being used and, most importantly, how Ariel and Justin are doing throughout this journey.

Here’s how you can help:

From the bottom of our hearts, thank you for your generosity and compassion. Your support means everything to Ariel and her family as they navigate this incredibly difficult chapter.

With love and gratitude,

Ariel’s Friends