My name is Mandi Gouge and I am blessed with an amazing husband, Jason, and 3 incredible boys and 3 beautiful grandchildren. I am an accounting manager at a CPA firm in Asheville, NC.

On November 4, 2024, we received a call that no one wants to hear after going for a mammogram due to concerns of a lump that I had found beforehand. An ultrasound was done and 3 biopsies were taken. My doctor called with the news: "Your biopsies came back as cancer; you have stage 3 breast cancer due to the size of the tumors and that it has moved into your lymph nodes." This froze me in my tracks and I lost it. I was officially diagnosed with Stage 3, ER+/PR+, HER2- Invasive Ductal Carcinoma in my left breast that metastasized to one of my lymph nodes in my left arm. After MANY, MANY doctor appointments, testing, scans, and tears, my cancer-fighting journey began faster than my brain could contemplate it. I never imagined I would be here at the age of 46.

My first treatment was chemotherapy. I started AC chemo (aka: Red Devil) on December 18, 2024, every 2 weeks for a total of 4 infusions. I then immediately switched to Taxol chemotherapy for 12 weeks, completing an infusion each week. I finished my last chemo infusion on April 30, 2025. I have handled the treatments fairly well for the most part and I am ever grateful to my family and friends, but most of all God for carrying me/us through this battle.

My next step will be to have a double mastectomy on June 10, 2025, which will entail at least a 4-week (possibly 6 weeks) recovery period that will include a short stay in the hospital with strict bed rest when I come home in the beginning, followed by physical therapy. Depending on the results of my pathology from the surgery, I will then have to complete 6 weeks of radiation (I have been told to bet on radiation due to lymph node involvement - it is almost a guarantee) of treatments daily (30 treatments).

Because of all of the appointments and lost time due to chemo treatments, etc., I have used up all of my vacation time at work. My husband, Jason, does work a full-time job and will be working as he can; however, he will also need to take time off work to be my caregiver during my recovery and unfortunately, because of the length of time he has been on his job, does not qualify for FMLA leave. So, his income will be limited during this time and I will have no income at all during my recovery period after surgery and through radiation.

Our families and friends have helped us so much and we are ever so grateful for everything they have done for us. But unfortunately, at this point, we are not sure what else to do. We are not people who like to ask for help like this, very prideful and hardworking. But finding ourselves in this unwanted journey; it has depleted our savings and we just see no other options. We know that God will always provide. This fundraising platform has been placed on my heart for many weeks now and I have tried to find any other way to avoid this, but nothing has worked out. So, we are humbling ourselves and asking for your help.

The money collected will go toward our regular monthly bills to cover our housing, utilities, groceries, and gas during the next 3 months (surgery, recovery, radiation - estimated finish is early September 2025).

We also ask for prayer during this difficult season of our lives and we appreciate anything you can give and will certainly take all the prayers we can get. If you cannot donate, we completely understand.

Thank you for all you do; may God bless you all every single day of your lives.

Sincerely,

Mandi & Jason Gouge