Support Vanessa's fight against breast cancer

Dear friends, family and kind-hearted strangers, I’m starting this fundraiser on behalf of my beautiful sister in law, Vanessa. On September 8th 2023, Vanessa was diagnosed with Invasive Mammary Carcinoma (breast cancer). Although we are still early in this journey, it has become clear that the path forward is not only going to be stressful, but also very expensive for reasons that Vanessa outlines below. Today, we are reaching out to those of you who are willing and able to contribute with any amount you can. Although the actual amount they will ultimately need is unknown, preliminary estimates of therapy costs and lost wages while Joel tends to his family’s needs are that we should set the target to $50,000 for now. All funds will go towards treatments not covered by healthcare and to help Joel, Vanessa and Aurora make ends meet in their time of need. Thank you all from the bottom of our hearts for any assistance that you can provide!

Vanessa’s story:

“Hello beautiful humans.

I don’t know how to write this, as I still can’t exactly believe or accept this is where we are right now. While I can’t accept the circumstances just yet, I can accept the feelings that arise and the tears that fall. That alone feels like a miracle, to gift myself the miracle of acceptance.

I have learnt over the years that it takes true strength to ask for help, so this is me being brave and strong and asking my community and anyone who knows me and my purpose on this earth, to please consider helping my one income family and support me through this journey ahead. In the beginning of September I was diagnosed with Invasive mammary Carcinoma, which is Breast Cancer. This shook our whole world. I lead an extremely healthy lifestyle and I’m passionate about wellness for me and my family. We eat well with a delicious, balanced diet full of whole foods and homemade delights. I acknowledge and take care of my mind, body and soul. We exercise, we do the healing work, we do all the right things. Because of this, it was very shocking and life altering receiving this news. It’s been an extremely difficult, scary, and emotional couple of months for me and my family. From many doctors’ appointments, tests, waiting for the diagnosis, and utter shock. We’ve now scheduled a mastectomy for the 6th of November. I look around me and see how sad, stressed, overwhelmed and worried my family and friends are. How sad, stressed, overwhelmed and worried, I am.

My husband Joel and I were in the middle of growing our family. For those who know me, know my greatest purpose on this earth is to birth and raise beautiful kind conscious earth healing beings, to have a large family, and to love, support and guide them throughout their lives. My sweet daughter, I only want her to feel surrounded by family, by siblings to support and love each other as they grow. We had a miscarriage the day after we received this news. As we gained more information, it became uncertain if I will ever be able to have more children again. With many of the therapies and treatments, your ovaries and eggs can be destroyed if not frozen through a fertility clinic. This will then require IVF treatments later on. Unfortunately, our one income family cannot afford this on our own. Let alone, all the medical expenses, testing, complement therapies needed for my recovery and fight going forward.

We’re having to choose between my health; a higher risk of recurrence or to continuing to grow our family. Having to decide between lifesaving treatments and testing because of not enough money feels impossible. The cancer I have is hormone sensitive. What this means is the type of cancer I have is fuelled by estrogen. The doctors want me to go on hormone therapy among other therapies, to inhibit my hormones and estrogen. The hormone therapy is one therapy I would be considering...but the risk is once going on this medication there is a high chance I will never be able to become pregnant on our own. I’ve been told that it can also cause permanent damage to my ovaries and eggs. This treatment reduces my risk of recurrence by 20-25%.

Breast cancer, I’ll speak to this type of cancer because that is what I have, isn’t a one and done type of thing. It isn’t just removal of the tumour and be on your way. There are many different avenues, therapies, treatments, tests, and lifestyle changes to continue with to reduce the risk of cancer recurrence. In the first 5 years after removal, you have the highest risk of recurrence. We are preparing ourselves for the years ahead full of many treatments, therapies and tests post-surgery aimed at reducing the risk of the cancer coming back.

Some of the doctor recommended tests, medications and treatments are not covered by healthcare and are very expensive. We may also need to consider the possibility of freezing my eggs and IVF treatments in hopes to one day again grow our family how I’ve always dreamt of, and still be able to protect myself against cancer and recurrence. Again, many of these options are not covered and are extremely expensive.

We need help. From someone who has worked since I was 13, who worked 3 jobs at once, who has always done her best to support herself to then being able to have my dream job of raising my children at home....I am asking you all with a heavy, but optimistic heart, if any of you would be able to donate or share this go fund me page, my whole family and myself would be eternally grateful. Unfortunately, we just can’t afford to do this on our own.

I want people to know, no contribution is too small. My family and I appreciate every penny and are more than grateful for all your support in all different ways. Thank you all so, so much for standing with us during this difficult, overwhelming time. We love and appreciate all of you. Thank you just doesn’t feel like enough.

Please find below a breakdown of what we would be fundraising for:

• A very expensive, un medically covered testing, that tests for cancer stem cells before all other imaging can detect it. It would be a 3 year program after I receive the mastectomy, to give myself and my family piece of mind and an advantage to being able to catch the cancer earlier to then treat it again right away. This would reduce the risk of not catching recurring cancers before they have spread through my body.

• The ongoing monthly costs of medical therapies and treatments through the naturopathic oncologist, IV treatments, injection therapies, oral medication and supplements, all to fight off cancer stem cells and reduce the risk of cancer returning.

• The possibility of freezing our eggs followed by IVF treatments. Without the money it is not a possibility for us, so we are seeing if it would even be something we would be able to do. This would alleviate the need to impossibly decide between possibly not being able to have more children and a treatment that could save my life and reduce my risk of relapse/recurrence.”

-Vanessa