Support Drea's Fight Against MDS

Hey everyone, one of the best among us needs help! For those of you who know Drea, you already know she is one of the best humans on the planet and one of the most steadfast and amazing people you will ever have the honor of having in your life. Unfortunately, after a random injury last June, it became apparent that something else was going on.

After many doctors, blood transfusions, and bone marrow biopsies, she finally got a diagnosis in February of this year of MDS. This is a rare form of blood cancer that usually affects people in their 70s and older. She has been doing chemo and transfusions while being treated at OHSU and Providence while they figure out a long-term care plan. This is on top of the lupus she has already been managing.

The only long-term solution to her illness is a bone marrow transplant that will keep her from working for about a year. She will need 24hr care for at least three months after a month in the hospital. To add to the complications of everything, she also broke her ankle recently and just had surgery to put in plates and screws. The ankle break is a side effect of the steroids she is on to manage her illness which has made her bones brittle. This has kept her from working earlier than expected and she likely won’t be well enough to work before the transplant.

She is currently waiting for her temporary disability to be approved, but as we all know, bills don’t care what is happening in your life and this is making it incredibly hard for her to pay rent and utilities at a time when she should be focusing on her health and recovery.

That is where we all come in. Drea is always there for everyone in her life and now she needs us. Her healing journey and the danger she is facing with her transplant is more than any one person should be facing. Adding the stress of financial issues makes the stress level so much more, which is damaging to her recovery. The most useful thing we can do is make sure she can focus fully on her health instead of on bills and groceries. Any amount helps and all donations go directly to Drea for her living expenses and immediate needs. She has a long road ahead and not having to worry about paying for things will make her recovery that much easier. Thanks for reading this and if you want to send Drea any words of encouragement please do through her Facebook or Instagram page. You can also contact me by messaging here for her direct cash app info or with questions. If you can’t donate please share, the more eyes on this the better chance we have of helping her.

Thanks!

Natalie (Drea’s birthday twin)