Help Me Recover After Caring for My Mom Through Cancer

In-home care providers aren't paid while the person they care for is hospitalized.

My mom was hospitalized for nearly three months.

Over the course of my mom's treatment, I went approximately three months without pay, which was just over $10,000 in lost income.

My current GoFundMe goal is $5,000 about half of the income I lost while caring for my mom through treatment.

I'm not asking anyone to fix everything for me. I'm already working to rebuild and take care of the rest.

But I've learned through all of this that there is power in asking for help while you're fighting to help yourself.

Eight months ago, my mom was diagnosed with stage 4 breast cancer.

Yesterday, she had her cancer removed.

I'm incredibly grateful to be able to write that.

For nearly 20 years, I've been my disabled mom's full-time caregiver. When she was diagnosed with cancer, caring for her became my entire world.

I'm paid as my mom's in-home caregiver, and caregivers aren't paid while the person they care for is hospitalized.

But I was still caring for my mom.

I was changing her linens, giving her medications, helping rotate and reposition her, advocating for her, and doing everything I could to help care for her while she went through treatment. I knew the nursing staff had many patients to care for, and I wanted to make sure my mom had someone there who knew her needs.

Meanwhile, the rest of life didn't stop. There were still bills, groceries, and eventually durable medical equipment my mom needed before she could safely be released home.

I covered what I could. Previous donations to this GoFundMe helped us when we needed it, and I took on debt to cover much of the rest.

Now, for the first time in a long time, things are getting better.

My mom is recovering. My income has improved. And I'm actively working my way out of the financial hole those months helped create.

If you'd like to help me recover some of what those three unpaid months cost, any contribution would mean a great deal to me.

And to everyone who has already donated, shared our story, encouraged my mom, or simply rooted for us: thank you.

Eight months ago, I couldn't see how we were going to get through this.

Today, my mom is recovering.

Now I'm trying to recover, too.

— Rey