Help Vanessa’s Victory Against Breast Cancer
Hello, I’m Andy! On April 8th, 2021, my best friend and hero, Vanessa Gonzalez was diagnosed with stage 2 breast cancer. I’m mounting a full campaign to rain hellfire and flaming arrows upon this bastardous tumor so that she gets the best fighting chance at beating this.
I met Vanessa on her first day on the kitchen line at a restaurant in Brooklyn, NY. She was quiet. But as soon as service started, she kept up with every order she was called with surgical speed and precision. Turns out, we became the quiet ones.
Many services, house music club nights, and cross country moves later, she has remained a dear friend to me and a reliable source of empowerment, safety, generosity and laughs in my life. Also, she has become less quiet.
We’re fortunate that the cancer is treatable enough and the stages are early enough that there is a chance that the cancer is not terminal but the fight to survive the cancer and treatment will be anything but easy.
In June, Vanessa will undergo a double mastectomy to remove both of her breasts and axillary lymph node. This may have permanent complications such as impairing the use of her right arm.
After the surgery, she will undergo chemotherapy for 4-5 months in order to remove any remaining cancer cells. As a result of this surgery, she’ll be nauseous and fatigued. She’ll lose her hair, strength, and appetite. But she won’t lost her attitude.
She will stop her work as a restaurant chef. Even though she will have no paid sick leave or insurance from work, her family is temporarily relocating from their hometown of White Plains, NY to LA in order to support her during her treatment and recovery.
From her years of work in non profit, career as a chef, and work in supporting social justice, Vanessa has spent her entire life devoted to putting purpose over profit and meaning over money.
There is no other way to put it - Vanessa is fighting for her best chance to survive and every dollar will help her do so.
Your money will help Vanessa pay for
- Medical expenses for the procedures, acupuncture, supplements, vitamins, post operation supplies such as pillow and clothes.
- Food expenses that will give her strength from surgery and chemo.
- Monthly rent for a house her family can temporarily move into so that they can support her.
- Travel expenses for airfare for family and travel to and from hospital.
- More expenses that will be shared once we found out more of her treatment plan.
When I ask her what it is like to be given this challenge, Vanessa says,
“One day I am sad, the next, I’m angry but the one thing that is constant is gratitude. Gratitude for the support I have received from my friends and family. It’s a lot for me to process and it’s a lot to allow myself to be vulnerable, to ask for help and to accept that help.
One big lesson I’ve learned and also have been a part of during covid is mutual aid. It is fundamental to support and uplift marginalized communities (BIPOC, queer, trans, nonbinary, etc...). We are conditioned to believe that asking for help is a bad thing but in reality it creates community so we can learn to lean on one another when we need it.
This is life changing but I know the universe will never give me something I can not handle. I am confident I will beat this because I have so many caring and generous people by my side.”
Help me give Vanessa the best fighting shot at surviving this!
1. GIVE whatever you can. No donation is too small. Donations to her Venmo account will be transferred without the 2.9% GoFundMe fee @Vanessa-Gonzalez-20
2. SHARE this GoFundMe Campaign or your donation to #VictoryForVanessaWithCancer
3. EMAIL this page to your family and friends
4. GIVE A HUG OR HIGH FIVE to yourself, friends, family, or neighbor because you are a giant hearted leader human!
With endless gratitude,
Andy!
