Hi, my name is Vicci, and I am fundraising for my sister, Teresa, who was diagnosed with Stage 4 Breast Cancer in 2019. By the time she was diagnosed, the cancer had already spread to her lower spine in which she had to have an emergency surgery and the surgeon had to fuse part of her spine. She has been fighting ever since. She has had chemotherapy infusion every 3 weeks since she was diagnosed, as you can imagine, this has taken it's toll on my sister mentally and physically.

Since her original diagnosis the cancer has metastasized to her brain, her lymph nodes, her hip bones & I believe a couple of other spots as well. The doctors and radiologist keep treating each spot and have had great success at keeping the cancer from spreading into her organs.

There is so much to tell about my sisters long fight to stay alive and I just can't put it to words. I am going to make a video to give more explanation as to why I am doing this fundraiser and give everyone much more information regarding her fight. She is definitely a fighter.

Teresa and our mother, who is 80 years old, live together and Teresa has been our mothers roommate and caregiver for as long as I can remember. She has given much of her own life to make sure our mother is cared for. Since my sister was diagnosed with cancer, she has still continued to fight her fight while still caring for our mother. I have helped as much as I can with both of them, and am now in a position where I am having to reach out to others for help.

My sisters hips/bones are deteriorating from all the years of chemotherapy and radiation and she is becoming more and more immobile. Her oncologist highly suggest Teresa undergo hip surgery so she can keep her mobility and told us that if she becomes immobile, the cancer is likely to spread much faster. She was evaluated by the surgeon and he gave the green light for her to get the hip surgery, however he told her she would have to have all her teeth extracted first because the chemo and radiation has caused them to deteriorate and any infection in the mouth could cause infection after the hip surgery. So the only way he would do the hip surgery is if she had all of her teeth removed.

So, three weeks ago, I took her to have all her teeth removed. As you can imagine, this was extremely difficult for my sister who is only 56 years old and now she would have to figure out how she is supposed to keep her energy up when she can't eat. She has since lost 10lbs and we are doing everything we can to make sure she gets what she needs. Within these past 3 weeks, she has become weak and frail, and can no longer to do things she was able to do prior to the extraction. Before she had her teeth removed, she was stronger and could do basic daily tasks. She was able to drive, go to the store, and care for our mother when needed. The teeth extraction has taken so much from her so quickly due to lack of nutrition. She has also experienced some depression due to the situation.

My reason for this fundraiser is for my sister to get new teeth (dentures). She is on State Health Insurance and they covered a portion of her teeth extraction, however there was a remaining balance of $600+ in which the American Cancer Society thankfully paid for. Her insurance will not cover the dentures.

The dentist let us know the full dentures will cost just under $3000, so that is why I am only asking for help for that amount. Teresa does not like asking for help, but we are at a point that we have no choice.

The hip surgery is June 24th, and we are going to be doing everything we can to get her moving and eating as soon as possible.

If there is anything you can do to help, any amount you can contribute, we will forever be grateful. And if you can't contribute money, just sharing this to others you know who might be able to contribute, will be greatly appreciated.

I can't thank all of you enough, many of you who know Teresa, know that she is vibrant and loves life. She loves outdoor activities and spending time with family. She has 4 grandchildren who she wants to see grow up to be young adults. Teresa will be fighting this fight for the rest of her life, and I just want her to have a chance to see that fight through. She has been a warrior from day one... every 3 weeks for the past 4.5 years. She has smiled through all the treatments and all the pain, but she has not smiled in weeks, I just want to see her smile again. Please help me help her keep fighting.

We thank you, and we appreciate you.

Photos below are of Teresa before her diagnosis as well as after. In the photos with her are her beloved grandchildren, our mother, and her sweet pup, Zeke.