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Meet Treena Bray. Treena is a mother of two, an incredible cook, and a former triathlete. She was an avid traveller, and an active member of the community as a coach in many youth sports. She is a kind, giving person that has always put everyone else’s needs above her own.
In June 2017, at the age of 45, Treena was diagnosed with HER-2+ inflammatory breast cancer. Treatment options were somewhat limited as this very aggressive type of cancer is rare (1-5% of all breast cancers) and by the time it is diagnosed, it has usually already spread. She underwent 6 months of chemotherapy and radiation first, followed by a mastectomy. One year after ringing the bell for completing chemo, we went on a family vacation to celebrate. It was during this trip that Treena started having balance and concentration issues and we discovered that the cancer had metastasized to her brain. This was the point that she no longer had a “curable” disease. Initially the doctors did not think that drug therapy would work because of the blood-brain barrier, so the next step was brain surgery, followed by targeted (SRS) radiation of the surgical sites. Unfortunately, the brain tumour quickly came back. By early 2020, she had endured 2 more brain surgeries and SRS.
More tumours have since appeared and were starting to grow, so Treena recently went through 10 straight days of whole brain radiation. This has left her with extreme fatigue and she’s still recovering 3 months later. Her most recent MRI was encouraging, as the tumours are relatively stable, and possibly shrinking. Finally, a bit of good news. We know, however, that this will not last. When the current cocktail of drugs begins failing, the next step will be to enter a drug trial. The most promising trial option costs approximately $15,000 per dose, and could require trips to The University of Alberta, a 6 hour round trip drive, every three weeks. Treena would currently have to apply for compassionate access, but approval is not guaranteed.
It has been a gruelling journey; full of constant trips to the hospital and increasing amounts of stress. Through all the hardship, Treena has been such an inspiration, always thinking of others and offering support to others battling breast cancer. Even while being beaten down by bad news and new obstacles, she still manages to maintain a positive attitude. Treena is the very definition of kindness, strength and perseverance.
Unfortunately, money is becoming increasingly tight, and this added stress is starting to eat away at her hope for the future. Treena is unable to work or collect EI, and what little savings she had are quickly being eaten up by bills. It is our hope that with this GoFundMe, we can help relieve some of the financial stress so that she can enjoy whatever time she has left with her kids. We don’t want Treena to be worrying about being able to keep a roof over her head and food in her fridge.
It has been a long 4 year fight, and we just want to offer Treena some peace of mind at this stage.
Please consider helping in any way that you can. We appreciate all donations so very much.
With gratitude,
Treena’s family and friends.
In June 2017, at the age of 45, Treena was diagnosed with HER-2+ inflammatory breast cancer. Treatment options were somewhat limited as this very aggressive type of cancer is rare (1-5% of all breast cancers) and by the time it is diagnosed, it has usually already spread. She underwent 6 months of chemotherapy and radiation first, followed by a mastectomy. One year after ringing the bell for completing chemo, we went on a family vacation to celebrate. It was during this trip that Treena started having balance and concentration issues and we discovered that the cancer had metastasized to her brain. This was the point that she no longer had a “curable” disease. Initially the doctors did not think that drug therapy would work because of the blood-brain barrier, so the next step was brain surgery, followed by targeted (SRS) radiation of the surgical sites. Unfortunately, the brain tumour quickly came back. By early 2020, she had endured 2 more brain surgeries and SRS.
More tumours have since appeared and were starting to grow, so Treena recently went through 10 straight days of whole brain radiation. This has left her with extreme fatigue and she’s still recovering 3 months later. Her most recent MRI was encouraging, as the tumours are relatively stable, and possibly shrinking. Finally, a bit of good news. We know, however, that this will not last. When the current cocktail of drugs begins failing, the next step will be to enter a drug trial. The most promising trial option costs approximately $15,000 per dose, and could require trips to The University of Alberta, a 6 hour round trip drive, every three weeks. Treena would currently have to apply for compassionate access, but approval is not guaranteed.
It has been a gruelling journey; full of constant trips to the hospital and increasing amounts of stress. Through all the hardship, Treena has been such an inspiration, always thinking of others and offering support to others battling breast cancer. Even while being beaten down by bad news and new obstacles, she still manages to maintain a positive attitude. Treena is the very definition of kindness, strength and perseverance.
Unfortunately, money is becoming increasingly tight, and this added stress is starting to eat away at her hope for the future. Treena is unable to work or collect EI, and what little savings she had are quickly being eaten up by bills. It is our hope that with this GoFundMe, we can help relieve some of the financial stress so that she can enjoy whatever time she has left with her kids. We don’t want Treena to be worrying about being able to keep a roof over her head and food in her fridge.
It has been a long 4 year fight, and we just want to offer Treena some peace of mind at this stage.
Please consider helping in any way that you can. We appreciate all donations so very much.
With gratitude,
Treena’s family and friends.
Organizer and beneficiary
Treena Bray
Beneficiary