As many of you know, my dear wife Roxanne was diagnosed with a rare, aggressive inflammatory form of breast cancer in May 2023 and went through months of chemotherapy, surgery, and immunotherapy. This rendered her immunocompromised, and she contracted a serious gastrointestinal infection.

She collapsed at home in March 2024 and was hospitalized on an emergency basis. A cardiac condition was diagnosed, necessitating the implant of a leadless pacemaker in her heart. She spent five weeks in Los Robles Hospital where she had multiple surgeries and procedures before being discharged to a skilled nursing and rehabilitation facility. After several months of therapy, she regained basic functionality, sufficient to bring her home. Roxanne made slow but steady progress, including trading her wheelchair for a cane, and recently getting weaned off receiving a substantial amount of her nutrition through an implanted feeding tube.

Unfortunately, in November 2024, a brain MRI identified multiple lesions on her brain, confirming the original cancer had migrated there. It’s treatable, but not curable. We had been told at the outset by her oncologist that with this particular cancer there was a risk of this happening, but the reality of the diagnosis was unwelcome considering the recovery progress Roxanne has made in recent months. She has now completed two separate courses of Gamma Knife radiation and is again undergoing chemotherapy to reduce the risk of further migration of the cancer cells to other organs. We are fortunate she has an excellent team of UCLA Health, Los Robles Hospital, and independent specialist physicians providing state-of-the-art treatment and care. Roxanne remains in a good frame of mind to meet her health challenges with hope and determination.

However, despite good insurance, the out-of-pocket expenses and overall impact on our finances has been considerable, hence the launching of this GoFundMe to help cover the immediate and ongoing expenses being incurred. We will be grateful for any contribution you can make.