Help Danielle Finish Her Recovery

Cancer is a long journey. You know how a race or a walk or a project sometimes gets harder just as you spot the finish line? That’s where Danielle Heitmuller is right now. Ready to complete her cancer journey, but facing a few last obstacles on the way. We can help her across!

Last spring, Danielle and her husband, Jim, were finally getting a break from a tough few years. Their son, who had been born prematurely, had undergone a series of life-saving surgeries. They were celebrating his second birthday, and the successful close to this health issue, when the relief and joy they felt crossing that finish line was replaced by new fear, uncertainty, and financial stress. Danielle was diagnosed with a rare and aggressive form of breast cancer, triple-negative malignant neoplasm.

Thankfully, Danielle had been proactive in getting an early diagnosis, and the cancer had not spread. But she was not out of danger. Chemo and surgery were still needed. And, because of a longstanding lung condition, some of the usual treatments – like post-surgical radiation therapy – couldn’t be used. Danielle had to do all of her treatments and healing in one great push in order to recover her health and be there for her loved ones.

If you know Danielle, you know she is always there for others. Whether as teacher, friend, colleague, mentor, classmate, mom, wife, first- or found-family member, she is optimistic, determined, and 120% committed to supporting others and helping them succeed. Even while fighting through the many debilitating side effects of her 6 chemo treatments this summer, she found the strength and energy to help her students, play nightly with her son, and continue to work on the picture book stories she writes and illustrates that will brighten many children’s lives.

Right now, she is using all her energy to recover from a complicated 8-hour surgery that removed the remainder of the tumor and additional tissue around it so she can live cancer free.

She’s almost there. She can see that finish line.

And now, we can be there for Danielle – to help her succeed. The last obstacles she has to overcome are financial ones. Danielle’s doctors feel she can go back to work in January, but meanwhile they want her focused on getting better and getting stronger. Jim is taking time off from work to care for her and their son. As he’s a freelancer, he has no paid family, vacation, or sick time. So the family’s income is taking a double hit. Coming on the heels of the earlier health expenses for their son, things are tight.

Danielle and her family need help with these immediate needs

- $2,000 medical bills insurance didn’t cover

- $1,500 post-op medication

- $1,000 child care

- $500 meals for the family during her recovery period

The Mulberries – a group of children’s book writers and illustrators – have set up this page to help Danielle and her family cover these needs. Danielle is a cherished member of our group and close friend to each of us – Annelouise, April, Gail, Heidi, Jackie, Joy, Judy, Molly, Tricia - and we are making pledges of our own to start off this fundraiser and help it succeed.

Please consider joining us. A donation of your own in any amount will be gratefully received by Danielle and Jim. You can also help by spreading the word about this important fundraiser. Together, we can easily knock down the financial demands that are a big burden on a single, young family doing everything alone.

Danielle has always demonstrated her care for us. Now, with just the last sprint to go, we can come together to care for her.

On behalf of Danielle and her family, the Mulberries thank you.