Trisha Hedburg - Medical and Living Expenses

Hello, my name is Jessica and Trisha has been an irreplaceable friend of mine for over 15 years. We are raising funds to help with her medical and living expenses, as well as making the remainder of her time with us as comfortable as possible. Trisha has worked two jobs as long as I have known her, as I am writing this she is working a night shift until 10pm at the gas station. Seriously, she never slows down!! Unfortunately, she no longer has a choice and she will need the support of our community to make ends meet.

As many of you know Trisha has battled breast cancer for the last 10

years. She has fought so hard, here is an overview of her disease timeline:

Trisha was first diagnosed with cancer in 2013, this is when it was realized she had the BRCA2 genetic mutation making her more susceptible to breast cancer so she underwent her first mastectomy. Shortly after she met the love of her life, Derek.

Her second round of cancer was in 2017, with the treatments she did end up losing her hair but she still remained really positive through it! We also got to see how amazing she looked with short hair, reminiscent of the Snow White character from the show Once Upon a Time!

Engaged in April of 2018- Derek and Trisha made the crazy decision to plan a wedding in four months! A wedding I am sure most will agree was epic. Her, Derek, Neely and D.O.G (+the cats!) officially became a family!

She started at ATS in end of 2018 and made more friends there. The Hedburgs were trying to have a child until they found out Trisha had cancer again. It was suggested she should have her uterus removed so that the cancer wouldn’t spread there - this was really hard. It meant that Trisha wouldn’t be able to have the experience of carrying a child. But, she decided was the best option for fear of genetically passing the cancer on to her children, or worse, her leaving them behind. So they had Australian Shepherd babies instead, adopting A.N.D. and C.A.T. in 2020, then MOO in 2021. They bought their dream home in Rice October 2021.

January 2022 she was diagnosed with

stage 4 metastatic breast cancer in her liver and bones. She was given 2-5 years. After the first treatment showed signs of improvement time was extended to 5-10 years. But shortly after the treatment stopped working. After switching therapy, she showed signs of improvement again, but that was short lived. Last week is when we got the worst news, the scans found the cancer had spread to her pelvis, liver completely, a couple chest bones, and parts of her spine, thyroid, and so on… you get the picture. She was given 3 months without treatment or 6-12 months if treatment works to slow the progression. She continues to fight, undergoing therapy and radiation but her condition is terminal. If I know Trisha she’ll push until she’s got nothing left then outlive us all.

On a more personal level, I’ll mention a few reasons why we all love her so much. This woman is just as beautiful on the inside and she is on the outside. Life has been unfairly cruel to her but she has never once let that get her spirit down. She has taken this burden and turned it into an opportunity to help others. She has guided friends through similar battles, she always lends a listening ear and open heart. Trisha continues to support those around her and comfort everyone else even though she is in unbearable pain.

Over the years she has touched the lives of so many people on a personal and professional level. Many of you know Trisha from her 10 years at Target. We all knew we could rely on her to be a friend, a mentor, a leader and one of those people that you have created memories with long after our days in red and khaki! Whether it was Target, her current jobs at ATS and Kwik-Trip or the volunteer organizations she has been a part of, Trisha always puts her whole heart into it! That is just her nature. She continued doing that while she has faced several cancer battles over the years and once again, now with a terminal diagnosis, she holds her head high and smiles and shares her story to help others.

Trisha is a selfless person always there to help friends and family, hiding how sick she really was. She provides love and understanding whenever she has the opportunity and is quick to build bonds with everyone she meets. She is the BEST aunt ever and loves to spend time with her adorable nieces. Family has always been a priority for Trisha, both blood related and friends that become like family. She has been inducted into the moto family and they cherish her both for her company and amazing flagging skills! Trisha is loved by so many and I know you all will pull through with donations. There is an event scheduled for 2/3 at the Rice American Legion, keep in mind there is limited space at this location.

Meat and Basket Raffl for Trisha Hedburg

We are working on a large benefit for Trisha, tentatively planned for 3/23 at the Moose Lodge in Waite Park. Once details are finalized I will update this page and share the event link.

Thank you all for your generosity!