Help Val Fight Cancer! Better screening for dense tissue!

In May of this year, a cruel twist of fate struck my beautiful friend, Valerie. Just two months after a clean mammogram, she discovered a troubling lump. Desperate, she made repeated calls to her doctor and the mammography center, but both were booked months into the future. They insisted that, since her last scan had been clear, she would have to wait until her next scheduled appointment.

Determined to seek answers, Valerie told a story about traveling and managed to have her mammogram moved up to July 2024. The scan revealed a subtle but alarming change in one small area. Despite this, the center refused to act further until Valerie insisted on an ultrasound, which she had to pay for out of her own pocket. The ultrasound revealed a tumor the size of a flat lemon. A biopsy soon confirmed the devastating news: stage 3b breast cancer with metastasis to her lymph nodes.

The harsh reality is that mammograms miss up to 50% of cancers in women with dense breasts. As Valerie navigated the maze of missed diagnoses, she uncovered this painful truth and resolved to raise awareness for better screening options for women like her. Her harrowing journey to diagnosis and treatment was detailed in a September Wall Street Journal article.

Meanwhile, Valerie’s 66-year-old husband remains in Albany, New York, working tirelessly to provide her with health insurance. He has been battling squamous cell cancer for seven years, making their household a double-cancer battleground with crushing medical expenses. Valerie’s treatments—chemotherapy, radiation, surgery, and ongoing chemo—have pushed their finances to the brink.

Valerie, a retired teacher, now needs our help more than ever. Let us join forces to support her battle against cancer and advocate for enhanced screenings. Every donation will directly contribute to her mounting medical expenses and the costs of traveling to and from treatment. Your generosity can make a difference in her fight to beat this disease.

All donations will go directly towards medical expenses.