Support Aaron and Amanda's Medical Journey

Hello Family and Friends!

Thank you for joining us on our new GoFundMe page for Aaron and Amanda Collyer

Wanted to share an update on our family and new challenges ahead -

Many of you have been with us through Aaron's journey after he was paralyzed in an accident in 2023 - since then, he's completed a year of intensive OT / PT, returned to work full time, applied for Neurolink, and established a 'new normal' in his home base in Salt Lake :)

Amanda (oldest sister) has been part of this journey since the beginning, quitting her job and moving to Utah the week of the accident. She's been his primary in-home caregiver throughout the process, and two years later, was looking forward to returning to work as the whole family moves towards greater independence.

On 7/02, she was diagnosed with cancer - initially, we were hoping for surgery and a relatively straightforward recovery… We now know it is TNBC (Triple Negative Breast Cancer), an extremely aggressive form. Within 4 weeks, the mass is already too large to remove (without significant reconstruction) and Drs are recommending a 6 month course of heavy chemo and immunotherapy to shrink the tumor before surgery, followed by more chemo.

The good news is that the cancer hasn’t metastasized elsewhere, of which there was a high risk. The bad news is the 70% 5 year survival rate - with a full year of chemo & immunotherapy and multiple surgeries. (We’ve been advised the survival rate without chemo is 0% in the first year.)

And so…. in less than 4 weeks, life has drastically changed for the Collyers once again - we are shutting down the SLC house that Amanda and Aaron had secured for the next year, and Aaron is moving across the country to Alabama before the end of the month. Amanda is considering treatment options in Utah (where she has medicaid) or closer to family, where she will have to reapply, and possibly face delays in treatment.

We are fundraising to cover immediate medical, cross country move, and caretaking needs:

Aaron:

Hire caregivers in AL so that he and all supporting family members can continue working full time

Moving expenses for a complex, cross country trip with medical gear plus household move

Travel expenses for family members flying to SLC and driving van from UT to AL

Amanda:

She’s considering starting treatment in SLC immediately (port placement surgical procedure is scheduled for 7/21). This means remaining in Salt Lake alone for a few months before possibly relocating with family for the more intensive 2nd round, and having surgery in AL or FL. We’re also looking into alternative treatments abroad that have had long term success in treating this type of cancer, which in addition to 30% mortality overall, has a high recurrence rate (and even higher mortality rate.) Given the seriousness of the prognosis, we’re considering every possible options, and are fundraising to cover expenses for:

Minimal living expenses in SLC for 1st round of treatment (while family moves, gets Aaron’s medical and caretaking needs met)

Supplemental health experts focused on optimal nutrition, toxins, environmental factors

Possible additional therapies (hyperbaric, liver and thyroid, emerging trials) offered outside of Salt Lake

Additionally, if you have advice or have gone through similar experiences, we’d love to hear from you, and connect in the Daphne, AL / Pensacola, FL / Salt Lake area! Thank you so much for all your love and prayers,

The Collyers