Support Jody Hassel's Journey Through Cancer
Donation protected
All I had to do was say no.
“Yes. I want to do it. I want to get the malu,” I said.
“Good for you, Jody! Good for YOU.” A fire lit behind Mama’s black eyes. She squeezed my fingers tight. “You sure?”
“Yes.”
Excerpt from Tiumaluali'i Jody Marie Hassel's essay Blood Born
Dear Friends, Family, and Supporters of Jody,
Our beloved friend and community leader, Jody Hassel, has been diagnosed with cancer. On April 1, Jody received the diagnosis of endometrioid adenocarcinoma, a form of uterine cancer. Upon this diagnosis, Jody immediately underwent emergency surgery, from which she is recovering well. However, the journey to full recovery still lies ahead.
The road to healing includes six rounds of chemotherapy and immunotherapy to eradicate any lingering cancer cells to hopefully provide Jody a full recovery. This treatment has been described as a cleanup of rocks and sand; the few rocks are easy to remove, but the small grains of sand can often go overlooked. Just like returning home from a day at the beach, it’s hard to know if you’ve sufficiently swept out the sand, and are often surprised by finding grains in nooks and crannies you hadn’t noticed before. The prescribed treatment is the cure for sweeping out any remaining endometrial cells gone rogue. When the mother tissue mutates, it’s time to get the biggest broom possible.
Having recently been awarded a Rasmuson Foundation Fellowship, Jody was in the midst of her year of creative development for a book-length memoir titled To the Root: Recovery of a Samoan Princess in the Exile of Erasure, about her search for and reunion with biological family and the trauma survivorship she embodies.
For those of you who know Jody, you know she is a force of nature who prefers to take action in the face of adversity. Now, it's our turn to rally around Jody in her time of need. As she embarks on this journey towards healing, we've established this GoFundMe campaign to alleviate the financial burdens that come with cancer treatment. Your generous contributions will support Jody in covering lost income, treatment expenses not covered by insurance, adjunct therapies, and necessary supplies. More importantly, these funds will provide Jody with the peace of mind to focus solely on her recovery, without the added worry of financial strain.
Jody has spent her life giving to others, selflessly serving her community as an artist, educator, volunteer organizer, writer, yoga teacher, musician, and friend. She continually inspires and uplifts others, offering healing and wellness to those most impacted by trauma and injustice. Even in the midst of this diagnosis, Jody finds gratitude in this cancer discovery and sees the journey ahead as an opportunity for medical and personal transformation.
Jody is deeply loved, and this is one way we can show up for her the way she shows up for her global community. Let's surround Jody with love, support, and the financial assistance she needs as she navigates this next chapter of her life.
Every donation, no matter the size, will help Jody on her transformation to wellness and help her emerge from this diagnosis stronger, healthier, and more resilient than ever before.
With heartfelt gratitude, we thank you for your support, generosity, and love.
We'll be posting updates on Jody's journey here on this GoFundMe site.
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Share this GoFundMe with others who might support Jody, any amount helps: https://gofund.me/ba9bae13
Support Jody with nourishing healthy meals during treatment weeks by signing up for her MealTrain [link coming soon] or by contacting Nickol Dameron directly.
Support Jody with gifts of labor–yard or housework. [service coordinator contact info will be updated soon]
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If you are not familiar with Jody’s work, some of her projects are included here:
Organizer and beneficiary
Jacie Sturm
Organizer
Fairbanks, AK
Jody Hassel
Beneficiary