Hi, my name is Michaela, and I’m starting this GoFundMe for my best friend Rachel (many of you know her as Rae), who has been bravely fighting breast cancer.

In April, Rae was unexpectedly diagnosed with a grade 3 tumour, confirmed to be breast cancer at age 29. Since then, she’s been through months of extensive screening, doctor's visits and biopsies. She faced the difficult decision to pursue emergency fertility testing, egg freezing and the large costs that come with doing so without any pre-planning.

In June, she had a unilateral mastectomy surgery with 14 lymph nodes removed, where she learned her tumour had grown quite rapidly and the cancer had spread to her lymph nodes. She then moved forward with 4 months of chemotherapy treatment and just completed her final round (Yay!!). She lost all of her hair during chemo, experienced painful side effects and learned that, sadly, there may still be residual cancer remaining in her lymph nodes. It’s a long road ahead as she still requires another lymph node surgery, radiation, and will follow these treatments with hormone therapy for the next 5-10 years to limit her recurrence risks. There are still a lot of unknowns about when she’ll be in remission.

Rae is a proud small business owner specializing in wedding and family photography, something she’s incredibly passionate about. Just a few months before her diagnosis, she independently moved her life from Ontario to British Columbia (a huge dream of hers) to start a new chapter closer to nature and her hobbies (hiking, rock climbing, swimming). She built a home in Chilliwack, where at the time she knew nobody but committed to putting herself out there as much as possible to meet friends and build community through sport and volunteering. This change presented new challenges for her business, as she worked hard to network and connect with clientele in a new province while simultaneously facing this new diagnosis.

If you know Rae, you know how special she is. She has handled this incredibly difficult journey with so much grace, vulnerability, humour, and positivity. Even on the hardest days, she somehow finds ways to laugh, stay hopeful and show up for others. She’s passionate about sharing her story with others so early diagnosis can be possible and young women battling the unknowns of cancer can feel less alone. She has always dedicated her free time to volunteer positions and takes pride as a Girl Guides leader. In the past, she has quickly said yes to any opportunity to photograph families going through hardship and has quietly done various pro bono weddings and photo shoots for strangers in palliative care or hospice without any need for recognition. Rae cares deeply about everyone around her and is a loyal friend to those both near and far.

Not only has this journey been incredibly difficult for her physical, emotional, and mental health, but cancer also has a huge financial toll. Rae has only been able to work a handful of times over the past year, and her treatment has held her back from a lot of normalcy. She lives independently and has been trying her best to stay afloat.

Even in Canada, with a supportive healthcare system, she has had to pay for many medications and care services out of pocket since she’s self-employed. Rae wants to become a mother, and this diagnosis may greatly impact how she’s able to fulfill that dream. Future fertility planning has its own set of high cost processes.

We are all so much stronger when we join together, and even the smallest donations can help make a large impact on a young woman who was dealt a really challenging experience. All funds donated will help Rae with medical bills and getting back on her feet with basic living expenses such as rent, groceries, and gas. She is moving apartments to downsize in the middle of all this, and this fund will support her through that transition. In addition, we’d be helping her prepare for the future of treatment and fertility needs, which I know means so much to her. With these donations, she’ll be able to do what matters the most, focus on her health and recovery, knowing there’s a loving community here cheering her on.

Thank you so much for taking the time to read, share, and support Rae. Your kindness means the world!