<div>My name is Tyler Hegarty. I am the son of this beautiful woman that I am making this fundraiser for, my mom, Alina Ornelas.
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<div>**Update on My Mom’s Triple-Negative Breast Cancer Journey 07/02/26**
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<div>Hi everyone, we wanted to share a quick update on my mom’s fight against triple-negative breast cancer over the past few months. 
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<div>So She has undergone her surgery and there was still a active 1cm tumor within her breast that was removed including breast tissue. The Dr's have prescribed her a pill form of chemo called Xeloda for additional treatment.
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<div> Unfortunately she had a very adverse side effect to the Chemo pill she started getting vasospasms which are main arterial spasms causing heart attack like symptoms. She was getting terrible arms and chest pain as well as jaw tightness and started leaking a chemical in her blood that vascular system releases when it is being damaged. 
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<div>The Dr's had to take her off this treatment for awhile to see what was causing these issues and confirmed it was the pill form of chemo. Currently this has thrown a rather large wrench into her treatment as without this medication her chances of recurrence are above 60% within the next 3 to 5 years could be sooner and after 5 years the chance drops significantly.
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<div>Her Dr's are experimenting with lowering the dosage of the Chemo pill as well as using calcium blockers and various medication they are starting a trial to see if they can circumvent those vasospams and get her the treatment needed for her to have a better chance of not recurring. 
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<div>Thank you to all who are keeping updated and to those who have already donated to her you are all appreciated.
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<div>(OLDER) Hi everyone, we wanted to share a quick update on my mom’s fight against triple-negative breast cancer over the past few months.
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<div>She recently completed 24 weeks of chemotherapy, which was a huge milestone after months of difficult treatments and side effects. Throughout the process, she went through multiple scans and tests to see how the cancer was responding. At one point during treatment, the lump had actually become hard to feel, which gave us a lot of hope.
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<div>Recently, though, she noticed that she could feel a small lump again. It’s still smaller than the original tumor, but naturally it has been scary and brought some uncertainty while her doctors continue evaluating the next steps.
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<div>Despite all of this, she’s continuing to stay strong and keep pushing forward. The support, messages, and donations we’ve received have meant the world to our family and have helped her focus on what matters most right now — continuing treatment and fighting this disease.
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<div>Thank you to everyone who has supported her and stood by us through this. It truly means more than we can put into words.
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<div><strong>UPDATE AS OF 2026:</strong>
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<div>My mom started dec on a rough note. Hospitalized for the 3rd time for blood clots in her jugular vein in her neck and her right arm. She had to have her port removed and replaced. 2 weeks later she started the 2nd phase of chemo. This chemo Doxorubicin aka red devil is one of the strongest chemotherapy a person can receive. So this regimen is every 3 weeks for 12 weeks. She gets Keytruda- immunotherapy
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<div>Doxorubicin aka red devil and Cytoxan chemo and the day after she gets a shot called Neulasta to boost her white blood cells which has cause my mom the worst pain ever and at times hasn't been able to walk without help
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<div>My mom has so far had 2 of these treatments and is a week out from her 3rd. Her oncologist has had to reduce her dosage by 25% because she hasn't been able to function very well and to hopefully keep her out of the hospital.
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<div>My mom's last chemotherapy week will be Feb 18th if everything goes smoothly.
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<div>Than my mom faces the hardest tests to see if she is cancer free. On feb 25th and 26th my mom will again make the long trip to Tampa for 2 days where she will have Lymph Node ultrasounds/ A breast MRI/ a PET scan and check to see if her blood clots have gone away and than meet with the breast surgeon.
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<div>This appt will tell my mom if her tumor is no longer active. If her results show that her tumor is still active than after she has surgery she will need to start chemo again for another 6 months to a year. Her tumor was so big at diagnosis and Triple negative is so aggressive that it takes a lot to kill the cancer. I'm late march my family will be traveling again to tampa for 3 to 5 days for my mom's surgery and reconstruction and the start of a 12 to 16 week recovery. Please continue to pray and god bless all who have been there for my mom with prayers and constant positive thoughts.
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<div>Thank you all for your support!
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<div><strong>Here’s an update:</strong>
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<div>After many rounds of chemotherapy and immunotherapy, her body has been through an incredible battle. The treatments have taken a heavy toll in many ways. The immunotherapy, while fighting hard against the cancer, has caused intense bone pain because it drastically increased her white blood cell count, putting extra strain on her bone marrow.
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<div>The chemotherapy has severely weakened her immune system, turning even small issues into serious complications. During her second treatment, she suffered a frightening reaction called hypertensive anaphylaxis, where her blood pressure spiked to dangerously high levels — 250/90 — putting her at risk of a stroke or heart attack. Thankfully, the doctors were able to bring it back down safely, and she has since been transitioned to a different chemotherapy medication.
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<div>Because of how much her immune system has been compromised, any minor infection or illness can become dangerous. One such infection nearly led to sepsis and required a 36-hour hospital stay until her body stabilized. Through it all, she has continued to fight with strength and grace, even as she’s lost much of her sense of taste and now faces liver disease that her immune system struggles to manage.
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<div>She also continues to travel over three hours each way to see specialists at Moffitt Breast Cancer Center — the 11th most prestigious breast cancer hospital in the United States. The costs of travel, treatment, and care have become overwhelming, but her courage and determination remain unwavering.
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<div>Despite all she’s been through, she continues to face each day with hope and resilience. Your support, love, and prayers mean more than words can express as she continues this fight.
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<div><strong>She has been diagnosed with an extremely aggressive form of breast cancer called Triple Negative Breast Cancer (TNBC) with a grade 3 tumor (the most aggressive a tumor can be).</strong> The reason this breast cancer is so much worse than others is due to the lack of hormone receptors found on the tumors that this cancer produces, meaning treatment options are limited and targeted therapies do not exist for it. This is the second time she has been diagnosed with breast cancer, but this time it's much worse as her first one was a hormonal breast cancer that was easier to treat. TNBC is significantly more aggressive and faster growing than other forms; it grows at a usual rate of 1% a day, which means within 100 days the tumor can double in size, spreading this evil disease to other areas of her body.
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<div>She has started chemo and is no longer able to work or enjoy the life that she so much deserves. On 9/09/25, she had a severe allergic reaction to her chemo drug (paclitaxel) and went into anaphylactic shock, almost causing her body to completely shut down, meaning treatment will now be delayed and they must shift to a different chemotherapy that may not be as effective.
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<div>I love this woman more than anything on this planet, and right now she needs more help than I can give. I'm ashamed I can't get her what she needs, and I absolutely dread having to ask others for help.
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<div>The people in these photos are all the people that love and rely on her as a mother, a daughter, and a wife. She is the light of all our lives and needs more help than any of us can provide. My sister and I live in California, and she lives in Florida, so we cannot physically be there for her each day when now is the time she needs the most support. We are a country's distance away from her.
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<div><strong>So from the deepest depths of my heart and soul, I plead and ask anyone who can help to please help us save my mom and help her beat this 2nd battle of cancer.</strong> Anything helps, and I'm genuinely sorry for having to ask for help with this matter, but I ask again, any help is welcome regardless of what it is.
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<div>The funds will be used for living expenses bills, food and treatment.
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Iris Sanchez Hacker

Chris Carrubba-Katz

Tania Acebo

Melissa Wall

Haley Petrowski

Stephanie Hoyer

Deborah Serdin

William Simonds

Irina A Gallagher

Heather Clark

Teresa Carrubba

Craig Koch

Anonymous

Jennifer Dannenbring

Steve Heneise

Bill Shields

Angel lehnhardt

Danielle Faris

Support Alina's Battle Against Triple Negative Breast Cancer

Support Alina's Battle Against Triple Negative Breast Cancer

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