Help Sabrina fight a Rare Cancer

Help Sabrina fight a Rare Cancer

 
As her loving husband, I write this on Sabrina’s behalf, she has gone into battle with cancer-not once, not twice, but for the third time.

I met Sabrina 20 years ago, when I was in physical therapy school. She is from Derry, Northern Ireland. I admire her beauty, strength, courage, and endless positive spirits. She has overcome breast cancer twice.

The first was a Stage 2 Invasive Ductal Carcinoma with Lobular feature in her right breast in 2013. She underwent a double mastectomy and breast reconstruction, as she told me, “I just want to feel normal.”

Four years later in 2017, the breast cancer returned! This second time, it was even more aggressive. It invaded her right lymph nodes, so 16 had to be removed. She had 4 rounds of chemotherapy with Docetaxel and Cyclophoshamide and had excruciating bone pain from Pegfilgrastim, a body injector for the bone marrow to help her body make white blood cells to fight infections. She followed up with 35 sessions of radiation and it ended in August 2017.

We were surprised again- 14 months later, right after Thanksgiving last year-2018, she felt a lump under her right side and another along her right shoulder blade. What? Not again, for the 3rd time? YES-it’s cancer, NO-not it’s breast, it’s RARE!

Now, she is in the fight of her life with Stage 3 Spindle Cell Sarcoma with Myxoid Features affecting the connective and soft tissue in her right upper back and under her right trunk. It has already fractured three of her right ribs-5th, 6th, and 7th.

According to The American Cancer Society, this type of cancer is RARE, accounting for less than 1% of all new cases of cancer.  She just completed 2 rounds of Ifosfamide and Doxorubicin Liposomal (nickname “red devil”), the strongest and most aggressive chemotherapy available to hopefully shrink the Sarcoma tumor.

Unfortunately, the tumor has grown in size and now the hope is to remove it with surgery.

The next step is radiation and invasive surgery that would be removing ribs and a part of her body that needs to be reconstructed. We’re hoping that radiation can shrink the tumor enough, so surgery doesn’t cause too much damage.

The Doctors have never known how she got breast cancer twice without a family history and now, a rare cancer. 

The 2 breast cancers have taken a toll on us financially for the last 6 years and now for the 3rd time, our savings are gone, and it has been a struggle with medical bills and living expenses. After her impending surgery, she will need 6 months to a year to heal and recover, that’s if there’s isn’t any complications. We are both worried about the medical expenses and will it bankrupt us.

I am forever lucky to have Sabrina in my life and will do whatever is necessary. We do not have any children, but we are fortunate to have great family and friends to help us through this journey-again.  I’m asking if you can help with any small donation, it will be greatly appreciated, especially your prayers will lift her spirits and help her FIGHT this RARE CANCER, hopefully for the last time.

Thank-you,

Robert Hai (her husband)