Hi, my name is Shelley and I have breast cancer. Not something I ever thought I’d say at 46. No one plans for life changing events, and sometimes we can’t plan for the financial side of what it means to overcome them.

I was diagnosed with Triple Negative lobular carcinoma stage 2 in November 2025. It is a more aggressive cancer than some breast cancers and chemotherapy had to start right away. Unfortunately the insurance company denied the chemo for two full weeks due to some clerical error. Once I got started I was on immunotherapy every three weeks and chemo weekly. I’m currently half way through chemo and the tumor has shrunk! However the medical bills have not. We are very fortunate to not have to bear the weight of the entire treatments, but deductibles and co pays add up. The longer the treatment goes the less I’m able to work due to just being so fatigued and ill. I hate asking for help, but 5 months in to treatment with at least 5-6 more to go and the walls have come down.

I’ve done a lot of things in my life. I’m a mom of two amazing handsome, kind, intelligent young men and three beautiful step-daughters. I’m blessed to be a Nana to 5 grand babies at my age! They make my life so full of joy. Im married to the love of my life, and we love to travel around the world. So much so, we switched careers to travel more! Currently I’m a flight attendant and he works with airplanes. Before that I spent 14 years teaching high school science, and he spent 20+ as a fireman. We love our community and know the part that others play in making our lives more enriching.

The cost of cancer is too much for any household. As of today insurance has billed over $200,000 in treatment costs. Just to save my life. Please know if you choose to donate it will go to medical costs, so that I can keep up this fight. If you can’t donate THAT’S OK! There’s still so much you can do! Say a prayer for me or anyone else you know struggling with cancer. Send a text or message to say you’re thinking of them! Kindness goes a long way and is worth more than money ever will be.

Thank you so much for listening to my story!

Love you all,

Shelley