Right before Christmas, Julie was diagnosed with invasive lobular breast cancer. This became a whirlwind of hospital visits, tests, and procedures — MRIs, ultrasounds, biopsies, consultations with specialists and a sentinel lymph node removal surgery on February 9th.

Julie is scheduled for a double mastectomy on March 18th with at least one additional major surgery afterward and dozens of appointments following. She faces 2–3 months of missed work during recovery, at least a full year of healing before she can return to normal activity, and five years of ongoing treatment with monthly injections and daily medication. Her doctors are hopeful she can avoid chemotherapy — but the treatment journey is still intense, exhausting, and expensive.

Julie is a freelancer. That means no paid time off, no sick leave, no safety net. Joe has to take time off to get her to appointments and help with care — they have already missed a significant amount of work. With a long road ahead, the financial strain is becoming overwhelming.

We are asking for donations to help ease the financial pressure of lost work and the significant medical costs that are already adding up. Julie is really looking forward to getting back to normal activities and fostering dogs. Thank you for all the love and support — it truly means so much to the Thompsons.