Hey There (deep breath, setting my ego aside),

Single Minneapolis mom here. I would love your financial support to help cover ongoing medical and living expenses during this season of my life.

Right now, the simple math doesn’t work. Even with careful budgeting, there’s more going out each month than coming in. Cancer treatment, insurance gaps, everyday life all add up. With Alice still in high school, my focus is keeping us in our home, keeping our 18-year-old CRV going (she’s still going strong at 205k miles :)), and holding onto some sense of normalcy and stability.

Here’s my story in brief: Thirteen years ago, I was diagnosed with Stage 1 breast cancer at 38. I was married then, and the girls were 2 and 11. No family history. No known genetic cause.

It came back two years ago at 49, this time Stage IV. I was just getting my feet back underneath me after a divorce.

Six months into treatment, just before my 50th birthday, I heard the words “no evidence of disease.” Thank you, God. It has held ever since. I remain on treatment and will continue as long as it’s working, hopefully for decades. As my oncologist frames it, “You have years, probably not decades… but maybe decades.” It’s a bit of a mind f*ck, if I’m being honest.

When I was diagnosed, I got a clear message from my Higher Power: I have more to do on this beautiful planet of ours and that I wasn’t dreaming big enough. That has become my north star. And yet this journey has brought me to my knees more than once, from fear to faith and back again.

I’m learning so much about just being, not doing. About not tying my worth to what I do. About love (and honestly, that’s why we’re here--to learn how to love and be loved), especially how to receive it…oof, that’s been hard! About living in this present moment, because that’s really all we get.

About trust--trusting life, my Higher Power, and the unseen benevolence that surrounds and supports us.

And about how many things can be true at the same time--like being grateful yet brokenhearted--and still finding pockets of awe and joy along the way.

As a lifelong athlete, I joined a breast cancer survivor dragon boat team for support, to build back my physical strength, and to keep moving forward, literally and figuratively.

In my first season, I signed up for an international festival two years out in Aix-les-Bains, France, bringing together nearly 4,500 survivors from over 30 countries. At the time, I didn’t know if my treatment was working. I just knew I needed something to look toward, something beyond the next scan or the next appointment (I had more than 100 in 2024, and then I stopped counting).

And that moment is now! We head to France in August. It’s a profound celebration of being alive, of resilience, and of standing in community with women who understand this path in a way only those who’ve walked it can.

I would be honored if you would support me and Alice (and Sunny and Lark from afar who lives in Madison now) in both the day-to-day realities of living with metastatic cancer and with this trip.

If you feel moved, one of the most helpful things you can do is simply share it directly with someone else. A text. An email. A “hey, I know her.” That kind of person-to-person sharing is what really helps something like this travel.

There’s also a monthly giving option on the page, which some people have chosen. That ongoing support really helps smooth out the unpredictability and stress of monthly expenses.

There have been so many gifts along the way, and incredible generosity from friends, family, medical providers, and even strangers. I’m still learning how to receive as it has always been easier for me to give.

Thank you, thank you from the bottom of my heart.

Still here, still human,

Lisa

p.s. Folks have asked for my Venmo as a no-fee option for donating. Here it is: @Lisa-Lynch-64