Support Molly's Cancer Battle

My world changed with one call.  Breast Cancer, triple negative at that.  Spreading rapidly and aggressively.  31, a mother of 1 sweet year and a half year old boy, and trying to reestablish our life after a recent move and now this.  

In January of 2016, I found a lump in my right breast.  As soon as possible, I went to the doctor to have it checked.  They were amazed by what it felt like and immediately sent me to have my first mammogram.  After the mammogram, I had a sonogram.  I knew something was up based on the urgency of all the doctors and nurses involved and tried to remain calm.  Not but three days later, I was lying on an exam table getting a biopsy of both the lump and a suspicious lymph node.  After a week of agonizingly waiting, I was told, at the age of 31, that I had breast cancer.  I was devastated.  I had a 1 and a half year old at home, how was I supposed to deal with everything?  After many appointments with many doctors, it was recommended that I have a bilateral mastectomy.  I was also sent to a genetics counselor to see if there was a genetic cause to the cancer.  Three days before my surgery, my results came back and I was told I had the BRCA-1 mutation.  Because of this, my oncologist called me and wanted to radically change my course of treatment.  She wanted me to complete chemotherapy prior to having surgery.  After calling nurses and debating options, I decided to start with chemotherapy.  I was scheduled to have 16 rounds over 5 months.  I didn't know what to expect but it was horrendous.  My body had horrible reactions to every medicine that they tried.  Rashes, ringing in my ears, and blurry vision; I had all of this on top of the typical chemotherapy symptoms.  I tried so hard to stay positive and worked as much as I could.  My husband and I make enough to make ends meet, but not much more.  And my insurance was terrible.  Refusing to pay for many tests, scans, and medicines the doctors recommended.  Our debt quickly accumulated.  I tried to keep my spirits positive and hide as much of my illness from my son as possible.  I know he is too young to remember all of this, and the biggest change was me wearing a hat.  But I also knew he would probably be my only biological child and I wanted nothing to stop me from being the best mom I could be.  I survived chemo and had surgery.  Luckily with the amazing help of my family, we made it through everything.  With the BRCA-1 mutation, I also had to undergo a complete hysterectomy.  This solidified my fear that I would never be able to carry another baby in my womb.  

All of the test, surgeries, scans, and medicine have taken a financial toll on my family.  We were working hard to pay bills and be tight with our money in every way.  Then, in January 2017, my husband lost his job.  He has been searching diligently with no luck.  Our credit card debt is mounting and I am still not finished with treatment.  I have one more surgery to undergo that we had to postpone due to my husband losing his job and me not being paid if I take any more time off work.  I am also still taking some chemotherapy drugs to ensure the cancer doesn’t return in another form.

Any monetary support you can give us would be greatly appreciated.  We are having a very difficult time making ends meet and our bills continue to add up.  Every day it seems there is another bill in the mail from some procedure or another.  All of the trouble our family has seen is from my illness.  I do not want my one and only son to suffer because of something that is out of our control.  Please keep our family in your prayers and thank you for any help you can provide.