Updated as of July 12: I was officially diagnosed with invasive ductal carcinoma on July 7. On the same day I met with the surgeon and the oncologist and scheduled surgery to remove the lump on July 15 a well as place in a chemo port. Monday July 13 I am also meeting with a radiologist. My next visit with the oncologist is August 11th, I believe chemo is starting that day.

I am reaching out because I am currently facing these challenges with no savings in the bank, I am in a position where I cannot cover my basic living expenses while I navigate this health crisis. Read below for how it began:

On the morning of June 17th, I woke up in the middle of the night with soreness in my right pectoral area. I managed to fall back asleep, not thinking too much of it. However, when I woke up again in the morning, I realized there was a pronounced, highly painful lump there. Immediate panic and stress set in. My head was spinning with every horrible thought imaginable: Should I go to the hospital? Am I having a heart attack? Is it an infection? What can just pop up overnight like this? On top of the health scare, financial panic hit hard. I didn't know how I would pay for medical care, or if I should use my last few dollars for urgent care instead of the ER. After a grueling six-hour panic attack, I finally reached out to a local organization. They calmly walked me through the steps, and we decided the ER was the safest course of action.

Thank goodness I went to the ER, because things began to move very quickly. The hospital immediately referred me to a surgeon within two days. It took me about five days to actually go because I had to quickly get the Broward Health Care grant for low-income individuals in place first—which, thankfully, I qualified for. June 23rd: Saw the surgeon. June 30th: Had a biopsy. July 7th: I will receive the results and find out the exact next steps for my treatment and surgery.

While the health grant is helping with the immediate medical side, I have zero income or savings to cover my day-to-day survival over the next two months while I undergo treatment and recover. I am trying to raise enough to cover my exact bills while going through this healing journey: rent, car insurance, phone bill, and groceries. Any amount you can contribute here will go directly toward keeping a roof over my head, food on my table, and my phone and insurance active so I can continue to coordinate my medical care. Your support means everything right now.