Hi there and thank you for reading!

My name is Amanda and this fund is for my friend, Samantha Seeley- a mother of two young children, a daughter, sister, niece, aunt, cousin, and friend from the small town of Black Creek on Vancouver Island. Sam is the kind of woman you can trust with anything. She is the kind of woman you can always count on, whether you need a helping hand, a listening ear, or a piece of thoughtful advice. She is bright, kind, determined, and incredibly strong. She is an incredible mother to her children and an advocate for them and for those in need around her. She does so much for so many and today she needs our help.

In May, Sam noticed some physical changes and went in for testing and was quickly diagnosed with two different types of breast cancer over multiple sites. Her cancer is HER2+, which means it is more aggressive and fast growing. Currently, her cancer is stage 2 and does not appear to have metastasized. However, with the HER2 protein presence, immediate and focused treatment is critical.

At the beginning of August, Sam started treatment, which includes 5 months of chemotherapy and immunotherapy followed by at least one surgery. She will continue the immunotherapy for at least a year, which may be paired with radiation depending on how the cancer responds to the current treatment.

Due to the rigorous nature of the treatment and all the appointments and travel that go with it, continuing to work will be difficult to impossible for Sam. The company she has worked with over the last four years has been incredibly supportive of her so taking medical leave has been a difficult choice, though a necessary one. Outside of work, Sam has raised her children, both of which have additional support needs. She has also, largely independently, tended to her farm daily. To balance the needs of her children Sam has only been able to work part-time for the past 4 years. In Canada medical Employment Insurance (EI) replaces only a portion of a person’s previous earnings. While EI will offer some financial support for six months, during and after this she will need assurance that both her family and farm will be kept safe.

In BC, only three out of the four drugs prescribed to Sam by her oncologist are covered through MSP. The fourth drug, Pertuzamab (Perjeta), is not covered unless the cancer is metastatic. However, HER2+ cancers carry a higher-than-average risk of spreading and therefore should be treated as soon as possible in order to give her the best chance of full recovery.

Perjeta alone, while effective, is very expensive and requires a course of six infusions. With the initial (“loading”) dose costing $9,000 and subsequent doses costing $4,500, the total comes to $31,500. Fortunately, Sam was approved for 60% coverage of these costs by the pharmaceutical company Roche, as she met their financial requirements. However, this still leaves her to pay the remaining $12,600.

While Sam’s uncovered medication costs $12,600 alone, our goal is to raise enough to help offset those costs while also easing the financial burden of lost income, travel, childcare, and farm expenses throughout her treatment and recovery.

Samantha, her children, her mum Anna, and immediate family are incredibly grateful to her circle of family, friends, and community who have stepped in to help with all the physical chores, childcare, meals, appointments, and other day-to-day responsibilities along with all the details of life in the last 2 months.

Helping to cover the cost of the coming months and the much needed medications would be an immeasurable gift. We want to reach out and show Sam that she is seen, loved, and that her life matters. We also want her to know that her children are seen, loved, and supported. Thank you for your help, be it financial aid if you are able, prayer, or sharing this page. Every moment we are reminded we are in this life together is a gift.