<div>One moment, I was planning the year ahead. The next, I was sitting in a doctor’s office hearing the words:
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<div>“You have a rare and aggressive form of breast cancer.”
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<div>Everything changed in an instant.
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<div>My treatment will be long, complex, and both physically and mentally exhausting. It will begin with several months of chemotherapy and immunotherapy, followed by time to heal. Then, I’ll undergo a double mastectomy. After another recovery period, I face the possibility of radiation, and finally, additional immunotherapy.
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<div>I’ve asked my doctor more than once if there’s any chance I can keep working through this.
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<div>Each time, her answer has been the same: This will be profoundly debilitating — and I need to give my body every possible chance to survive it.
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<div>That means I’ll be out of work for at least 7 to 9 months.
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<div><strong>And that’s terrifying.</strong>
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<div>So many of my friends and family have asked how they can help. I haven't known how to answer until now. Truth is, I’m now facing not only a life-threatening diagnosis, but the urgent question of how I will continue to take care of my responsibilities.
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<div>My health insurance premiums are a lifeline — they give me access to the care I need. Losing that coverage would mean interruptions in treatment, and with a cancer this aggressive, that’s simply not an option.
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<div>If you know me, you know I’ve spent my career showing up for people in their hardest moments.
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<div>As a psychologist, I’ve worked to make psychiatric hospitals more humane and affirming for people navigating severe mental illness and crisis.
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<div>As an LGBTQ+ sensitivity and trans inclusion consultant, I’ve fought to make organizations safer and more equitable, especially for trans and nonbinary staff who are too often overlooked.
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<div><strong>Now, I’m the one in crisis. And I need help.</strong>
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<div><strong>I’ve launched a GoFundMe to cover my living expenses, insurance premiums, medical costs and other needs while I undergo treatment.</strong> If you’re able to contribute, I’m deeply grateful. If you can’t, sharing this with your network means the world.
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<div>Thank you for reading. Thank you for standing with me — now, when it matters most.
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<div>The Fight Continues,
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<div>A.C.
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Bernice Carson

Damie Jackson

Kim Diggs

Anonymous

Freddie Weinstein

Renee Hill

Debi Feinstein

Stacy Daniels

Cassandra Sanchez

freddie weinstein

Shannan Taylor

Julie Allen

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