Hi, I’m Emelie, and I’m raising money for my best friend, Marley, who was recently diagnosed with triple-negative breast cancer at 33.

I met Marley over 15 years ago, on the first day of college when I sat down next to her in photo class and made her be my friend, and she’s been my chosen family ever since. We’ve had countless road trips, lived together, worked together, traveled together, done nearly everything together - somehow filling every moment with laughter and connection (and more wine-fueled late-night talks than I could ever count).

For those who know us, we all know Marley as the calm, chill one - who is endlessly kind, hilarious, and one of the most resilient people around. She’s the kind of person who takes care of everyone else quietly, lovingly, and without ever asking for much in return. She’s a selfless friend, a super fun auntie, and a brilliant attorney. I’ve been lucky enough to experience all these sides of her through our many years together.

Once, at a music festival, I managed to walk straight into what can only be described as a biohazard situation, and Marley cleaned me up, made me laugh, and somehow made me feel okay again. That’s just who she is - she’ll wade into your mess without judgment and help you find your way back to center. Those of us who know her know the last few years haven’t been so kind, and she’s faced some big challenges and transitions with so much grace. We kept saying, “this next year will be your year.”

And now, she’s facing one of the hardest battles a young person could ever imagine: triple-negative breast cancer.

At just 33, Marley experienced her worst fear - being diagnosed with breast cancer after a routine mammogram. Because she knows she carries the BRCA gene, she’s at higher risk, and thank god she was diligent about her screenings. She had no symptoms. Let that be a reminder to all of us: please, do your self-exams, get genetic testing to know your risk, and stay up to date on your screenings.

Triple-negative breast cancer is an extremely aggressive disease, but luckily, with treatment, her care team believes her prognosis is excellent. Marley’s treatment plan will likely include a double mastectomy, months of chemotherapy, and the potential for multiple surgeries down the road both for her reconstruction and to reduce her risk of other BRCA related cancers.

Why Now

Marley’s care team wants her treatment to start as soon as possible, and while her eventual outlook is excellent, the next year will be full of hard choices and long recoveries. Because her treatment will span both 2025 and 2026, she’ll need to meet her deductible and out-of-pocket maximum twice, essentially doubling her financial burden. This is our chance to make sure she doesn’t have to worry about anything except getting well, and to surround her with the same love and care she’s always given to everyone else.

We were both so naïve before this process about how even a cancer with such a good prognosis could require so much treatment, coordination, and lifestyle upheaval.

How Your Donation Helps

Even with insurance, the costs are staggering:

Marley works as a labor attorney, advocating for fair workplaces. She’s amazing at what she does and pours her whole heart into helping others. Now, she needs her community to show up for her in that same way, so she can focus on healing instead of worrying about bills and logistics.

Our initial goal is to raise $50,000 to help Marley through treatment and recovery, giving her the peace of mind and stability she deserves during this fight. Every donation will go toward covering her medical expenses, lost income, and the many practical needs that insurance simply doesn’t touch. Our goal is based on what we know about her outlook right now and may change as we learn more and she progresses through treatment - true costs may exceed this current estimate.

So far, Marley has been facing everything with courage, humor, and grace - with moments of grief, shock, and heartache, too.

If you know Marley, you know she’ll try to do everything herself. But no one should have to face something like this alone. She has always been there for the people she loves, and now it’s our turn to be there for her.

Other Ways to Support

You can follow Marley’s journey and get updates through her CaringBridge page - please use that to stay informed and send words of encouragement rather than overwhelming her with questions. Your positive thoughts, love, and support mean everything.

If you’d like to help in a more hands-on way, you can also sign up for her Meal Train to make sure she’s cared for through treatment and recovery. Since we still don't know how she’ll respond to treatment, DoorDash gift cards are especially appreciated as they will give her flexibility to get what she needs, when she needs it.

Please donate if you can, share this page widely, and send love and encouragement her way. Every bit of support, every kind word, every dollar truly matters.

“It’s still hard to believe this is actually happening, but the love and support I’ve felt already from friends and family truly means everything. It’s hard for me to ask for help like this, but I can’t imagine doing this alone.” –Marley

Marley deserves to live the beautiful, full, joyful life she’s built — and with our help, she will.

With love,

Emelie