Tali's Mastectomy Fund

Hello, my amazing and wonderfully helpful humans! My name is Anna and I am organizing this fundraiser on behalf of someone who I know we all love with a deep passion. Whether she has touched our souls through her wily wit, her endless charm, perhaps her pints of pickles and pop-ups of pierogi - to name just a few of her great selling points - we know her as the woman that always lights up the room, Tali Smith!

After many years of struggling with breast issues, my dear friend will undergo a bilateral (double) mastectomy on February 9th. This is of course not just a huge undertaking emotionally, but also financially, and we are here today to see if we can rustle up a bit of support for Tali and Derek over this chaotic period.

Whether your incentive comes from just being an exceptional person, perhaps from a shared experience, or maybe even just to ensure you can get your next order of pierogi on the books as soon as possible, we would be eternally grateful for any donation you would feel comfortable giving! If you are unable to do so, that's ok too! We just ask that you please share this with friends and family to help spread the word about these conditions.

Tali will need at least 8 weeks off of work for the first surgery and an additional 2-3 weeks for the second. Her husband, Derek, will also need to take some time off so that he can practice his EMT skills at home while helping to care for her during the recovery period. While they are lucky enough to have job support during this hectic time, all deductibles and max out-of-pocket fees reset at the start of the new year leaving them to cover $8,000-$10,000 in medical bills at the end of it all.

No donation is too small, and truly anything helps! Tali has an incredible support network around her, and we’ll all be pitching in to make sure that the groceries are in, that there’s always something good cooking in the kitchen, and that we can make the indoors feel as comfortable and distracting as possible whilst Mardi Gras rolls outside. Anything you can donate will go towards keeping financial stress at bay whilst they deal with devoting the time necessary towards a healthy recovery.

Tali has always been very open about her medical struggles, a big part of which has been in order to educate others, spread awareness and destigmatize any discomfort in talking about intimate medical issues. So, for those of you who are interested in learning more about how we got to where we are, please read on for the full background of what Tali has been dealing with over the last 11 years. I will also note that Tali plans on documenting the next few months through Instagram reels, again in order to help anyone else who might be in the same position as her and to give them the knowledge of what to expect. If you’re interested in following Tali’s journey then you can follow her at @taliketeri

In 2012, what was thought to be a simple benign fibroadenoma in her right breast developed into a rare Phyllodes tumor which required two additional surgeries to get clean margins and prevent any further spread.

Every 6 months for the last 11 years, Tali has undergone diagnostic monitoring and procedures to keep an eye on the many tumors that have continued to infiltrate and grow in both breasts. Because of this, she underwent genetic testing and was found to have the Chek2 gene mutation which causes an increase in lifetime risk for both breast and colorectal cancers.

In September of 2022, a new mass in the left breast was found to be suspicious resulting in the recommendation of yet another biopsy. Between the time of finding the new mass and the biopsy procedure date (only 10 days), another tumor grew in close proximity to the left axillary lymph node. It was at this point that Tali’s breast oncologist said that the risk was just too great and that a prophylactic double mastectomy was now the advised form of treatment. Tali agreed and the family began preparing for what would be a life-changing surgery.

It has been over a decade of worry and stress–constantly wondering which of the many tumors could be malignant or possibly another Phyllodes. To date, there have been a total of 4 surgeries, 7 biopsies, and short-term interval monitoring for more than 10 masses between both breasts! While the upcoming surgeries are a very big deal, they will also hopefully light the way for Tali to find some consistent health and emotional peace.

Let me tell you a bit about the Smith family!

Tali spent many years chasing her musical performance dream in NYC before being diagnosed with a bladder condition called Interstitial Cystitis. After being unable to continue live performances, she became an advocate for patient care and IC awareness spending years helping those who struggled with the same painful condition she did. In 2012 she met Derek, a Marine Corps veteran who served two tours in Iraq and who also had dreams of helping others sharing the same struggles as his own. They married and moved from NYC to Boston to pursue their new careers: Tali as a critical care veterinary technician with a special interest in cats with IC and Derek as an EMT. They both still work in these fields and also run PoLa New Orleans, a pierogi and pickle business on the side!

If you’re still reading at this point, then we thank you for taking the time to learn so much about what our wonderful friend, and many other women around the world, have gone through with this condition. That alone is a big part of why we’ve put this GoFundme up here!

And if you’ve clicked the ‘donate’ button, we’re even more grateful! We thank you all so much for your ongoing support and for coming on this journey with us.