Stand with Heather Silvis: Fighting Cancer Together

My name is Heather Silvis and I am 46, a single mother of four and a college professor at Bakersfield College in Bakersfield, CA. I found out yesterday I have breast cancer, and while I earn enough money at my job to pay my bills, I am riddled with fear that I will not be able to pay my bills while I am fighting this awful disease and cannot work.

I have always been the one to give back and I've never asked anyone outside of my family for help. That ends today. Sometimes it's okay to ask for help. So I'm asking for yours.

I have 80 personal days saved at work and I have donated to the emergency leave bank so I'll be able to take leave from there, but once that goes away I may need to go on disability and I will not be able to afford my bills. Though it may seem like I live a lavish life, I live paycheck to paycheck and have very little in savings in order to provide stability for my children after their father left. I did everything I could to keep my house, and all my money goes to paying for it, maintaining it, and fixing it.