Not long after her 50th birthday, Stephanie found a lump. After scans and tests, she received the diagnosis: aggressive stage three breast cancer.

She is now nearing the end of the chemotherapy portion of this journey. The good news is that both the clinical trial chemotherapy and the standard-of-care treatment have successfully shrunk the tumor — which will help ensure that the next step, a surgical mastectomy, goes as smoothly as possible.

The difficult news is that the lymphovenous bypass procedure — which transplants healthy lymph nodes to the affected area — is not covered by insurance.

In addition, Stephanie has already had to reduce her work hours during treatment. Surgery, followed by a month of radiation therapy and later reconstruction surgery, will make working even more challenging in the months ahead.

Stephanie is an esthetician and her work requires consistent use of her arms — something that simply won’t be feasible during parts of her treatment and recovery. On top of that, the fatigue and physical toll of chemotherapy and radiation make maintaining a full work schedule unrealistic.

Stephanie does not have extended family to lean on — just her young adult son — and so her friends and clients have encouraged her to allow us to step in and help by creating this GoFundMe.

She still has a long road ahead. Funds raised will help cover:

• The lymphovenous bypass procedure

• Medical expenses not covered by insurance

• Lost income during treatment and recovery

• Basic living expenses during this time

If you are able to give, any amount truly makes a difference. If donating isn’t possible, sharing this page would mean so much. And if you can do both — thank you, from the bottom of our hearts.