Last year I found out I had a synovial sarcoma tumor at the age of 28 after having chronic pain and muscular swelling in my thigh. I went through vigorous chemotherapy, radiation and surgery as cancer treatments.

Thank you so so much to everyone who’s helped me thus far. Your support has been endless and countless in forms. I’m forever grateful. I have some updates to share.

Sometimes the success of a battle can give us a false sense of security. I lost sight in my renaissance of remission—which was assumed in May—that even though I won my first bout of treatment, cancer is in fact a war. It’s one that could arise again at any point throughout my life and has proven that now.

To be less lyrical and more blunt, my cancer is back…The sarcoma has traveled to a lymph node in my leg and to my lungs. So far the tumors are small and I intend for them to stay that way. New clinical trial treatments are to start in the next couple of weeks. This time around, immunotherapy will be trialed before further surgeries and possible chemotherapy. I am trying, as we all should, not to get ahead of myself. We can choose to be optimistic or fatalistic, but the outcome is bound to be the same, so I encourage we partake in the former.

Embarrassingly, and I really wish it wasn’t the case, I do have to ask for financial support if that is a possibility for you. Insurance and grants won’t cover the entirety of clinical trial drugs (if at all) and I’ve already depleted my entire savings and credit during my first year of treatment. Though I’m in the process of securing a stable job right now to offset that, the reality is that having cancer (especially twice in just over a year) is enormously expensive. Again, your support in my first battle was invaluable. But here we are again. And as with last time, anything helps. (Even if that’s just sharing this GoFundMe!)

I have unending love for you all. Keep me in your thoughts, prayers and hearts!

xoxo Tay