Ignite Raffi’s Healing - Stage 4 Vulvar Cancer

Friends & Supporters of my cancer journey-

These past two weeks have been a couple of the harder ones we have had to face. After a few months of successful treatment with immunotherapy, we have hit a wall. Side effects have been a barrier to continued treatment and we are pressed to find a new therapy that works. It was confirmed that the increased discomfort and strain that I have been feeling these couple of weeks in my vulva and perineum is due to new rapidly growing tumors. The reality that I have been diagnosed with Stage 4 cancer was brought to light again while speaking with my doctors.

After getting through the first year and healing so well after chemo, radiation, and other therapies— I didn’t see myself as “sick” in that sense. I felt like we have gone so far, I have gained so much health and learned so much on this journey. Yet, here we are— again. The weight of it all is horrendous and I am SO over this. So many of you have come to our aid these past three years and my heart hurts knowing that we are in this space again. We are back in this space looking for answers, researching at night instead of sleeping— revisiting talks of death and we are three years into this having tried SO many therapies— conventional and holistic.

The reality that I have to admit to myself, is that I don’t have time to spare as the tumors grow quickly, intensely and are tearing through tissue.

My medical team and I have begun the process of finding appropriate care both out of state and out of the country. Due to having already tried other modalities of cancer care, our options are limited at this point and have pointed us elsewhere with hopes that we will have more options. The largest barrier we face, as you can imagine with a three year cancer journey and family of 4, is financial. We have to make decisions and we have to make them QUICKLY.

Today, I am asking for your help.

It looks like we will be relocating temporarily for a few months as I undergo treatment everyday. I say this with as much transparency as my heart can handle. Up until this point, Danny has always worked and we have found a way to manage the girls together with help from friends and family. At this point in my journey, I do not want to separate our family anymore. We have tried our best, but it is incredibly taxing on my health as I fly around the country for treatments alone, and struggle being away from my family. We would deeply appreciate your support to keep our family together as we navigate this period in our lives.

We don’t know the exact costs yet, but we do know if we have to go out of the country— insurance will not cover the costs. It will be a stretch for them to cover the center in the U.S., as well. The other expenses for our family of 4 will be housing, food, care for the girls & transportation.

The estimated costs that you will be contributing to are as follows:

- combined therapies ($50,000+)

- living costs to keep our home and find a temp. rental ($20,000)

- travel & transportation ($7500)

- care and homeschooling for the girls ($25,000)

At this point we are trying our best to make sense of the situation. I know there are many ways to get creative and we are open to all of them! If you are unable to contribute financially, please share the link with others.

We deeply believe in the power of prayer and community. We have seen the miracles that both provide. We invite you to pray for us, with us and be a part of our community, continue to be a part of our community as we navigate this hell hole.

With Love,

Raffi