Our sister-in-green, Border Patrol Agent Brayana Ivette Fayett, is fighting Stage IV of Metastatic Ocular Melanoma; a rare and very aggressive form of cancer that affects the eyes and quickly spreads into other parts of the body. Ocular melanoma is diagnosed in approximately 2,000-2,500 adults annually in the United States. The exact cause is unknown, though it's known that exposure to ultraviolet (UV) rays, either from the sun or sunbeds, increases the risk of developing melanoma of the skin.  
 
Brayana entered on duty with Border Patrol on March 13, 2008 and was stationed at the Harlingen Border Patrol Station when she started noticing changes in her vision.  After visiting with her physician, she was diagnosed with Ocular Melanoma in her right eye on December 28, 2010.  Brayana has now been diagnosed with Stage IV of this disease and both of her eyes have been affected. Brayana has faced many challenges throughout her struggle: losing her hair in 2012 due to chemotherapy, losing her sight in the right eye from painful laser therapy, and she has the unfortunate possibility of losing her sight in her left eye as well. Other reactions to the treatment that she has experienced have been nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, fatigue, allergic reactions causing her face to breakout with welts.  Brayana has more than twenty tumors the size of lemons affecting her liver.  Doctors have told her that if her liver stops responding to the treatment, there is nothing left they can do for her and her days would be numbered.  

Brayana has had to travel to MD Anderson Cancer Center in Houston, Texas many times throughout the past four years to receive treatment for her condition and, as a result, has accumulated a tremendous amount of medical bills. She is unable to work, has exhausted her work leave and is, therefore, unable to pay for her medical expenses.  

Any donation will be used to pay for medical expenses not covered by her insurance, help her with her daily living expenses and alleviate any financial stress so she can focus on treatment and healing.  Any amount of support would be a huge impact in Brayana’s life.  Your thoughts, prayers and generous donations are sincerely appreciated.