It’s hard to know where to start, so I’ll just say it: my best friend, Bailey, has cancer.

Just eight weeks ago, Bailey was diagnosed with breast cancer. The world really can feel so unfair—especially when I think back to November 2024, when I was dancing at her wedding.

In mid-August, Bailey noticed some firm tissue in her right breast. Thankfully, she trusted her instincts and immediately made an appointment for a mammogram. On August 28, 2025, Bailey was diagnosed with Ductal Carcinoma In Situ (DCIS), breast cancer confined to the milk ducts. In her case, it’s multifocal, meaning there are multiple areas in one breast.

Because of the type of cancer, Bailey and her medical team have decided the best path forward is a double mastectomy with reconstruction. This surgery will give her the best chance at long-term remission—and allow her the future she and her husband, Dean, dream of, including starting a family one day. Surgery is scheduled for early November, and her recovery is expected to take 6–8 weeks. With a possible second surgery that would be determined later.

In the midst of all this, Bailey has shown incredible courage and grace. Before her diagnosis, she was chasing her dream of becoming a real estate agent here in Austin, TX. Like many in her field, she purchased her own health insurance plan—only to learn, devastatingly, that it doesn’t cover the surgery or treatments she needs. Her request to upgrade was denied, labeled a “pre-existing condition,” even though there was no way she could have known what was coming.

That’s where we come in.

Bailey is the kind of person who never hesitates to show up for others—she’s the one who brings soup when you’re sick, plants for your housewarming, or a home-cooked meal when you’ve just had a baby. Now it’s our turn to show up for her.

This GoFundMe was created to help Bailey focus on what matters most: healing. Donations will go toward medical expenses, loss of wages during recovery, and giving her the peace of mind to rest and recover without added financial stress.

Any amount, big or small, will make a difference in giving Bailey the best chance at beating this. Thank you for helping us rally around her with love, strength, and support during this chapter of her life.

I never wanted to write these words, but it is my honor and privilege to support Bailey. It’s deeply personal for me as she showed up for me in my time of need in such a way that I’ll never forget. I’m angry at cancer and sad that alongside so many of us she will share this pain; but I do not fear the disease. For I know she will fight this with the same grit and courage I did.

With love, Beth