Together we can make a difference for Dereena.

I am asking for your support for my close friend, Dereena, who is currently battling stage 4 metastatic breast cancer. Recently a new door opened for her which is offering more hope and promise but financially she is not able to take advantage of this opportunity. She deserves this chance, as do so many, and I am asking everyone I know and don’t know, everyone who knows Dereena or doesn’t know her, to please read about her and her needs and to consider supporting her during this next promising phase of her healing journey.

A little peek into who Dereena is:

Dereena has so much more to give to this world. While she is not afraid of death, what she fears most is not having the time to fulfill what she came to this earth to do. Dereena is not unaccustomed to disappointments, heartache or difficult challenges. She has had more than her fair share during her life, and despite it all she is one of the most resilient and positive people you could ever meet. She often says to folks if you are not trying to live your dreams you are living your fears.

Dereena has spent her life helping people and being there for others is so very important to her. She is a giver and has a dream of opening a center where people can come for support - with the goal of letting people know that they are not alone, that they are worthy of receiving love and acceptance, and to remember that we are all one.

Dereena’s passion has been to be of service to those who are struggling emotionally and spiritually. She also is a devoted mom and would do anything to support her sons. Dereena walks the walk - she is a positive, uplifting person who finds the good in all things - no matter what the situation looks like. She is genuine, honest, open, and always greets you with a hug. It’s hard to understand why so many people are facing the challenge of cancer…and why some live to share their story, while others’ lives are cut short. Dereena has said many times, the diagnosis of cancer was a gift in a way - it was a wake up call. It forced her to look at her life and how she was neglecting her own well-being. It inspired her to redefine the true meaning of life for herself and deepen her feelings of gratitude and self-awareness.

She has these two signs on her refrigerator that reveal a lot about her attitude toward this challenge:

“You were given this life because you are strong enough to live it”

and

“You are not your illness. You have an individual story to tell. You have a name, a history, a personality. Staying yourself is part of the battle.”

Dereena is one of the most authentic people I know, and if you ever have the chance to meet her you will find that her perspective is infectious. As I said, she has so much to give and so much more to do…she is so deserving of more time to live to spread her light to all those around her.

Dereena’s Cancer Journey:

In 2016 Dereena was diagnosed with breast cancer stage II. She was healthy her entire life so this was a complete shock to her. After all the doctor visits and tests she had a bi-lateral lumpectomy. It was then that friends started sending her information about cancer. There was so much to learn. She made it her mission to read all she could about the causes of cancer and how to change its course of this disease.

She was working at the time and financially was able to seek out other professionals, alternative modalities, and supply herself with robust supplement support. The doctors wanted to do further treatment but Dereena opted to take a more natural approach. Her oncologist was in support but made her promise to contact him should things change. All was well (so she thought) for about 5 years when symptoms began to reappear. The thing about cancer cells - they are smart, and when one road is blocked they find another way to become an unwanted guest in the body.

Early in 2022 Dereena had a cough and was slowly experiencing shortness of breath. After weeks of not improving she was admitted to the hospital where they told her the cancer had spread to her lungs and liver and she was now dealing with stage IV metastatic breast cancer. Her lung was filled with fluid caused by the cancer cells, the tumors in her liver were too many to count, and there were more tumors in her breast.

Her prognosis was bleak, and the course of action was to make what remaining time she had comfortable so that she could experience a quality of life. She was also told there was no cure, and it was just a matter of time before her body would develop an immunity to the treatment, and then they would have to discuss what comes next. This prognosis was not something Dereena wanted to hear nor accept. She never stopped looking for answers. What slows down tumor growth? What have others done that worked to initiate remission?

The first line of attack was to address the fluid in the lung. After having it drained a couple of times it was evident that the fluid was returning at a rapid rate, so she had surgery to have a permanent tube inserted into her lung. Visiting nurses came to her 3 times a week to drain the fluid. The procedure, thoracentesis, was done around April and the tube remained in her lung until December. The goal was to have the fluid subside and not reproduce. For 9 months she endured this - unable to really do much of anything. Slowly, after each drain, the fluid was returning at lower and lower levels.

In August of that year Dereena also started chemo infusions of two drugs that strive to kill the type of cancer cells in her body. In addition, she was to take a daily pill, again to address the specifics of her cancer. In late October, when she thought things were improving, she started to feel worse. Eventually she was rushed to the hospital to learn she had pneumonia. The infusions were stopped during this hospital stay. More tubes, more aggressive draining, more down time.

The goal the doctors hoped for wasn’t quite reached, but they did all they could to help with the fluid build up and address the pneumonia. It was time to build up her stamina so she could go home. Physical Therapy was introduced which involved walking and climbing stairs to help build her lung capacity. A side note - here is another example of Dereena’s spirit and love of life: her therapist had her up each day walking the halls. Imagine Dereena shuffling with a walker, in that lovely hospital gown, with her oxygen pole being pulled by the therapist, and the two of them singing loudly “Doo Wah Diddy Diddy” and “These Boots are Made for Walking” as they passed each room. Dereena told the story explaining that while she was trying to gain strength she thought why not try to bring some joy to the other patients as well. She really didn’t know if people were laughing at her or with her but it didn’t matter - people were laughing. Spirits were being lifted. This is what she does. This is who she is.

By December the lung stabilized with a consistent low amount of fluid so the tube was removed just in time for the holidays. Infusions began again. Every 3 weeks she had blood work done and her cancer markers fluctuated - sometimes they were up a bit, other times they were down a little, but the overall picture shows the cancer on a steady climb. Something you don’t want to see.

In 2023, as she gained more strength in her ability to breathe and walk, Dereena joined LIveStrong at the YMCA - a free 12 week program designed to help cancer patients build up their strength. She also started looking for work but was not successful in finding an immediate job that could accommodate her medical treatments as well as her level of energy while giving her the financial support needed to maintain her monthly expenses. (Dereena had been let go from her position in March of 2022 as the result of the company she worked for being acquired, and changes being made.)

As this year progressed, decisions had to be made. Having used up what resources she had, Dereena was not able to maintain the level of proactive measures she was doing in 2022. She is on a fixed income and the additional supplements, specific foods, and alternative support was no longer feasible for her. Insurance does not cover these things.

Dereena has her sights set on being able to complete her certifications so she can start working again in a coaching/counseling capacity, which would bring supplemental income and stabilize her ability to fully support herself and her medical needs. However, time is not on her side right now. Her focus has been to stop the progression of this disease to buy her time but this has become more and more challenging.

I mentioned wanting to start a gofundme for her to help with her monthly needs so she could buy the supplements she needed, or pay down the unpaid medical bills, or just be able to purchase the foods she needs to support her body nutritionally - all things needed to help with her healing. She needed some breathing room so she could focus on her body and not have to stress about survival.

Then the unexpected happened. Dereena was told about a concierge integrative healing center that works in conjunction with the treatments she is receiving and it is located on Martha’s Vineyard which is driving distance for Dereena. You are admitted to the program through a referral which Dereena received and she was just accepted as a patient! She had a lengthy discussion with the doctors and after hearing Dereena’s story, they feel that Dereena is a perfect candidate for this protocol with a good chance of success - but there is an urgency due to the time that has passed and concern about further tumor growth spreading to other organs.

The goal of this program - shock the system with robust anti cancer elements that kill the deadly cells, while aggressively building the good cells and immune system. Step one is to get extensive blood work done and have it reviewed by doctors who look at everything. From that they know exactly what condition your body is in, what is needed, and a treatment plan is formulated that is tailored to Dereena specifically.

Step two is when the specific treatment plan is recommended and discussed. This could involve outpatient daily visits or 24 hour services for one to two weeks - depending on the advancement of the disease. From what we understand this is the punch start they speak of. Then step three is the ongoing treatments. This involves supplements, anti-cancer nutrition, as well as treatment options from IVs to alternative therapies proven to work effectively in helping to stop tumor growth.

To a stage 4 cancer patient with a prognosis of limited time, having an option that offers hope and promise is like receiving a rainbow with a pot of gold at the end. That is why I am asking for your support for Dereena. I’m asking that we give her a chance to have the very best treatments to stop the cancer growth. I am asking that we give Dereena the gift of more time. That we give her the opportunity to hug her son on his wedding day. That we give her the time to not only be with her sons but to meet her unborn grandchildren and teach them the bits of wisdom she so loves to share. I am asking that we tell her through our actions that her life is worth it. That she deserves the chance to give to herself and the time to give back to others. That she can have the time to possibly fall in love again and dance in the moonlight. That she has the time and energy to take people into her heart and offer them comfort and support with encouragement on how they can improve the quality of their lives or just ease their pain. I am asking that we give her the gift of life. She has so much more to give - all she needs is time…and with your support we can all make this happen.

How will your donations be spent? Every dollar will go towards her treatment and the stopping of tumor growth. Some initial costs include:

Blood evaluation by a team of doctors - $1200. (Immediately needed to get this started)

Relieving stress - overdue medical bills of $1600.

Supplements in this program - $2250 for the first 3 months, ($2700 for the next 9 months)

The cost of step 2 ranges from $10,465 to $18,130 - depending on her evaluation. Photobiomodulation at home - approximately $9,000

The other costs needing funding include ongoing treatments at the BioMed centers, anti-cancer nutrition, and all the other costs not covered by insurance that will be defined when her treatment plan is finalized.

We are setting a goal of $65,000 with the intention that this will give Dereena the tools she needs to win this battle and be well on her way towards remission. Giving her the gift of time so she can enjoy her family and in turn share the love and light that she has to give! And knowing Dereena, she will be more than happy to share her progress and keep you all informed about what a difference you made in her life.

Every donation, no matter how small, will make a difference in Dereena’s life. Please know, Dereena would only want donations from folks who are able to do so - please don’t take away from your families and what they need. And if you can’t contribute financially, sharing this campaign with your network would be so appreciated.

The following was written by the woman who led the LiveStrong class at the Y that Dereena attended: “Every day brings a chance to practice stress or to practice peace. (Joan Borysenko). Dereena cultivates a sense of serenity wherever she goes, hence the meaning of her name. She brought her empathy to this group. She has the innate skills to respond to our emotional state. She has stepped into our shoes and let us into hers. I believe we have built stronger relationships with each other because of her.

She is an optimist who has worked out with infectious energy and enthusiasm from day one. Dereena has been an absolute pleasure to work with, with a never surrender attitude.”

Thank you for your generous support and for giving Dereena the opportunity to dream of the life she so wants to live.