Support Tessa While She Beats Cancer For The Second Time

In 2007, when Tessa was just 14 years old, she was diagnosed with Stage 4b Hodgkin’s lymphoma. After months of chemotherapy, multiple rounds of radiation, and the mental, emotional and physical battle that cancer entails for the individual and their loved ones, she made it into remission. We watched her curly red hair start to grow back in fuzzy and blonde, were in awe of her resilience as she returned to school and her community, and most of all we were and are so grateful we had the chance to continue to watch her grow up, to watch her live.

This year on January 30th during a routine mammogram and MRI, Tessa was told she had 3 masses in her left breast. She was sent for an immediate biopsy on February 10th. On February 17th, her biopsy results confirmed that she was diagnosed with cancer for the second time.

On March 11th, a nurse who works with the Comprehensive Breast Cancer Program assigned to her case called her to go over the biopsy pathology report and what to expect regarding options for treatment moving forward. She was told the most common form of treatment for someone with this cancer is a lumpectomy where the tumours are removed, and then to follow surgery with radiation. However, as Tessa has had radiation treatment before at 14, the surgeon was concerned that further radiation treatment would have adverse affects on her body. The usual course of treatment was not a viable option for her.

She was told the treatment forward would be a mastectomy of the entire breast. Survivors of childhood cancers are at a significantly higher risk for developing secondary cancers from radiation, certain drugs used in chemotherapy, and the young age they are first diagnosed. If she chose the single mastectomy now, there is a high likelihood that breast cancer would still occur in her other breast in the future.

As such, Tessa has made the incredibly brave decision to have a double mastectomy to ensure her future health. Her care team is in full support of this decision.

We are currently waiting for a consultation with her surgeon on April 8th and hope to have a confirmed date for her surgery at that time.

The money raised will be going entirely to Tessa to support her while she recovers from the loss of these pieces of herself. It will cover living costs, bills and payments, any medications not covered by our healthcare system during and following her surgery, as well as to allow her to focus entirely on herself and her recovery without having to worry about anything financial.

I know that our whole family, friends, and loved ones would be so grateful for anything you can contribute towards her at this time. We honour and commend her decision and believe that providing financial support will allow her more space to recover the best she can, mentally, physically and emotionally.

To finish, I would like to say that Tessa is a light. She is so effortlessly kind and caring to others, and genuinely make the spaces she occupies better and brighter with the love that pours out of her. Her art and creativity, along with her bad dad jokes and big, juicy laugh, are a gift to this world. She is fierce, compassionate, emotionally intelligent, sensitive and and so gd strong. Of heart, mind and body. We love her deeply and cannot thank you enough for helping her (and by extension, those of us who know and love her) to feel at least financially secure as she moves through this part of her life.

Love,

The Loates Family

A Note from Tessa:

"I am doing my BREAST (ha ha) to take it one day at a time, and even though I am afraid, I am opening myself up to all the changes that lay ahead. I'm just happy to be alive. Thankful to be alive. I am grateful for all the support reminding me I am not alone on the next part of my adventure."