Donation protected
Meet Jenn!
Hi! Thank you for taking the time to read this page today. This is a story about our friend Jenn.
What’s she like? Well, she loves to travel and try new foods. Always up for an adventure, especially outdoors. She loves Halloween! Fun-loving. Smart, confident and hardworking. Ambitious. Loves animals and her family. An amazing friend, the kind who you can always count on, no matter what.
Like many of us early 30-somethings, she never really thought about having to deal with a major health issue so early on. That is, until this summer.
The Diagnosis
In July 2019, during a routine breast self exam, Jenn noticed a lump. She wasn’t overly concerned, but made sure to discuss it with her primary care physician at her next appointment. At first, her doctor wasn’t too alarmed. But since her mom is a breast cancer survivor, the doctor wanted to run some additional tests, just in case.
After a lot of back and forth, testing and follow up, waiting and conversations with providers, Jenn received a phone call at work. The woman’s faltering voice on the other end of the line hesitantly informed her...it was cancer.
In her words, “I was in shock. I was in denial. I was PISSED.”
At the young age of 32, Jennifer found herself joining the 1 in 8 women in the U.S. who will develop invasive breast cancer in her lifetime. She also learned that most cases of breast cancer are found among women ages 50+, with only 11% of new cases found in women younger than 45 years of age.
She was officially diagnosed with:
Stage 1-2 Invasive Ductal Carcinoma (a fancy term used to describe breast cancer not contained in the ducts)
Mass 1.5 CM in size
Estrogen and Progesterone Positive
HER2 Positive (over expression)
Ki-67 (high levels)
Treatment So Far
The good news is, the cancer was caught early and Jenn’s medical team acted quickly. In September, she underwent her first major procedure – a lumpectomy to remove the cancer cells from the breast. We’re so happy to report that this surgery was a success! The surgeons were able to remove the cancerous cells from the affected area.
Given her family history, specific type of cancer and a host of other factors, Jenn’s health care team recommended that she be treated with both chemotherapy and radiation . Chemo ensures that no other cancerous cells have escaped into other parts of the body and prevents growth of any new cancerous cells. The targeted radiation treatment is to ensure that no other cancerous cells or cells that may become cancerous are still hanging out in the vicinity of the original mass that was removed.
Jenn is currently preparing to begin chemotherapy. This process involves many appointments with an oncology team, various specialists, chemo education and even another surgery to have a chemo port placed.
As you can imagine, the preparation and treatment process is intense – both in time and money. While insurance does cover some of the major portions of treatment, other related, but equally important portions are not.
Why We Started This Page
As Jenn’s friends and family, we’re asking for your support to help Jenn cover some of her treatment costs that are not covered by insurance. All money raised from this page will be used towards the following:
$6000 – Fertility preservation
Jenn has always imagined herself having a child one day, and currently enjoys being an auntie to her nieces and nephews. Unfortunately, both chemo and radiation treatment can be detrimental to a woman's fertility. In order to keep this dream a reality, she’s decided to freeze her eggs . This procedure is both costly, in the range of thousands, and not covered by insurance.
$9000 – Additional medical and personal costs:
· Medical bills not covered by insurance
· Genetic testing, including BRCA gene testing , helps assess future cancer risk among people with a history of breast cancer. In addition to the BRCA gene, genetic testing looks at other genes with the potential to mutate and increase risk for breast and ovarian cancer. For those with a strong family history, like Jenn has, there may be reason to believe that these abnormal genes are inherited. Unfortunately, health insurance will not cover the additional testing needed to determine whether Jenn is at increased future risk for cancer due to these genes.
· Hair loss is a common side effect of chemo and radiation. Wigs are a great way to help reduce discomfort and try out new looks, but are typically not covered by insurance.
How you can help
By raising these funds, we will be able to:
· Increase the chances that Jenn can become a parent in the future
· Reduce Jenn’s medical debt
· Help monitor future cancer risk
· Help Jenn feel her best during and after chemotherapy
Though the amount we need to raise may seem daunting, every little bit helps!
Please follow this page for updates, and you can also check out Jenn’s personal blog to hear more about her story in her own words.
Best,
Jenn’s Friends and Family
Hi! Thank you for taking the time to read this page today. This is a story about our friend Jenn.
What’s she like? Well, she loves to travel and try new foods. Always up for an adventure, especially outdoors. She loves Halloween! Fun-loving. Smart, confident and hardworking. Ambitious. Loves animals and her family. An amazing friend, the kind who you can always count on, no matter what.
Like many of us early 30-somethings, she never really thought about having to deal with a major health issue so early on. That is, until this summer.
The Diagnosis
In July 2019, during a routine breast self exam, Jenn noticed a lump. She wasn’t overly concerned, but made sure to discuss it with her primary care physician at her next appointment. At first, her doctor wasn’t too alarmed. But since her mom is a breast cancer survivor, the doctor wanted to run some additional tests, just in case.
After a lot of back and forth, testing and follow up, waiting and conversations with providers, Jenn received a phone call at work. The woman’s faltering voice on the other end of the line hesitantly informed her...it was cancer.
In her words, “I was in shock. I was in denial. I was PISSED.”
At the young age of 32, Jennifer found herself joining the 1 in 8 women in the U.S. who will develop invasive breast cancer in her lifetime. She also learned that most cases of breast cancer are found among women ages 50+, with only 11% of new cases found in women younger than 45 years of age.
She was officially diagnosed with:
Stage 1-2 Invasive Ductal Carcinoma (a fancy term used to describe breast cancer not contained in the ducts)
Mass 1.5 CM in size
Estrogen and Progesterone Positive
HER2 Positive (over expression)
Ki-67 (high levels)
Treatment So Far
The good news is, the cancer was caught early and Jenn’s medical team acted quickly. In September, she underwent her first major procedure – a lumpectomy to remove the cancer cells from the breast. We’re so happy to report that this surgery was a success! The surgeons were able to remove the cancerous cells from the affected area.
Given her family history, specific type of cancer and a host of other factors, Jenn’s health care team recommended that she be treated with both chemotherapy and radiation . Chemo ensures that no other cancerous cells have escaped into other parts of the body and prevents growth of any new cancerous cells. The targeted radiation treatment is to ensure that no other cancerous cells or cells that may become cancerous are still hanging out in the vicinity of the original mass that was removed.
Jenn is currently preparing to begin chemotherapy. This process involves many appointments with an oncology team, various specialists, chemo education and even another surgery to have a chemo port placed.
As you can imagine, the preparation and treatment process is intense – both in time and money. While insurance does cover some of the major portions of treatment, other related, but equally important portions are not.
Why We Started This Page
As Jenn’s friends and family, we’re asking for your support to help Jenn cover some of her treatment costs that are not covered by insurance. All money raised from this page will be used towards the following:
$6000 – Fertility preservation
Jenn has always imagined herself having a child one day, and currently enjoys being an auntie to her nieces and nephews. Unfortunately, both chemo and radiation treatment can be detrimental to a woman's fertility. In order to keep this dream a reality, she’s decided to freeze her eggs . This procedure is both costly, in the range of thousands, and not covered by insurance.
$9000 – Additional medical and personal costs:
· Medical bills not covered by insurance
· Genetic testing, including BRCA gene testing , helps assess future cancer risk among people with a history of breast cancer. In addition to the BRCA gene, genetic testing looks at other genes with the potential to mutate and increase risk for breast and ovarian cancer. For those with a strong family history, like Jenn has, there may be reason to believe that these abnormal genes are inherited. Unfortunately, health insurance will not cover the additional testing needed to determine whether Jenn is at increased future risk for cancer due to these genes.
· Hair loss is a common side effect of chemo and radiation. Wigs are a great way to help reduce discomfort and try out new looks, but are typically not covered by insurance.
How you can help
By raising these funds, we will be able to:
· Increase the chances that Jenn can become a parent in the future
· Reduce Jenn’s medical debt
· Help monitor future cancer risk
· Help Jenn feel her best during and after chemotherapy
Though the amount we need to raise may seem daunting, every little bit helps!
Please follow this page for updates, and you can also check out Jenn’s personal blog to hear more about her story in her own words.
Best,
Jenn’s Friends and Family
Co-organizers (5)
Rashunda Lewis
Organizer
Atlanta, GA
Jennifer Rice
Beneficiary
Ann Jelli Carpenter
Co-organizer
SChana Holley
Co-organizer
Shantelle Screen
Co-organizer
Taneka Maxwell
Co-organizer