Dear Family and Friends,

 I hope this finds you happy and healthy. Every once in a while someone’s world changes as they are given devastating news. Unfortunately, this is to be the case for Sara right now.

 As most of you know, about a year and a half ago she was diagnosed with breast cancer. This was devastating to learn, as her husband Carlos was in the middle of graduate school and she was in the process of opening up the new Deva location. The cancer was stage 1 at that time. She has spent the year in recovery from the double mastectomy and reconstructive surgery, and she has been rebuilding her strength, and simply trying to get her life back to normal.

 In mid-October, Sara was in the gym and started to feel some intense discomfort in her abdomen that did not feel normal. As the pain persisted, they went to the doctor to try and identify what was going on. Imaging was performed and a CT scan showed several lesions in her liver. A biopsy of the lesion found breast cancer cells, leaving her with a diagnosis of stage 4 breast cancer. As you can imagine, this is the most devastating news she could possibly hear. The dreams of continuing to grow her business and starting a family are seemingly becoming less of a reality.

 At this point, she has met with her oncologist, cancer naturopath, and a fertility specialist. She will be starting oral chemotherapy this week and in a few weeks, she will start IV chemo as well. We are under the impression that she will most likely still be able to continue working during this time, it is all dependant on the side effects and how she feels while on chemo. This will be a lifelong treatment that she will have to endure, as there is no cure for stage 4 cancer at this point. We pray that new advancements will be made soon to change that.

 Sara is one of the most inspiring, health conscious, ambitious, motivating, and most of all, loving people I have ever known. Her capacity for compassion is beyond what I can ever aspire to have. She and Carlos want a family and for them to have the best chances at this, Sara will have to harvest and preserve her eggs. All of this (her diagnosis, treatment, lost income, and fertility) is going to be financially and emotionally demanding on Sara and Carlos. They need our support in so many ways, starting now.

 Sara and Carlos are so grateful for what they have and they are hopeful that their future will be long and full of joy. They appreciate your love and support. Please help them in whatever capacity you can. Sharing this link to your social media is greatly appreciated, as the more people we reach, the more help they receive.