Bea Cantelmo’s cancer fundraising assistance

Hi, my name is Beatriz Cantelmo. In February of 2023, I was diagnosed with a melanoma cancer recurrence. Nodular melanoma is an aggressive type of cancer and I had to hit the road sprinting instead of running. I had a surgical procedure in February and started intensive treatment protocols with immunotherapy drug infusions and radiation therapy.

Adapting to a new recurrence , renegotiating life, my worries, hopes and vulnerabilities in light of so many uncertainties has been a nuanced and complex process. Making room for regular puking, fever, fatigue, pain and diarrhea bouts while balancing ongoing appointments, work schedule and resting is exhausting and my new “normal”.

Not all is pain and suffering and living life continues to be a tangible reality. I vowed to myself that I will keep a grateful and open heart to continue to embrace the good and hard moments that I am living. As long as I wake up above room temperature, I will make every moment count and use each day alive as my baseline for happiness. Although my energy level is much lower and scarce these days, my hopes, purpose on earth, spunk, sense of humor , creativity and sassiness remains strong. I continue to cherish the simple joys of living.

I am blessed for having my friends’ love, care, prayers and words of encouragement. And I am deeply grateful for all of the treatment options that I currently have access to, and for the medical professionals who take care of me. It is true that it does take a village for one to heal.

As I brace myself in anticipation for this long road and year ahead of treatments and recovery, the emotional, logistical and financial challenges of this life altering experience and reality are overwhelming. Although I have access to good health insurance now, the deductible costs and co-pays for doctor’s appointments, treatments, meds, exams, surgery, hospitalizations and other unforeseen medical expenses does add up, and fast. These additional costs are a challenging and stressful reality for me now and moving forward - in addition to shouldering 100% of everyday living costs during this rough patch of my life.

Despite feeling mortified to expose both my health and financial vulnerabilities publicly, I created this account to raise funds so I can cover some of my medical expenses. Your help will allow me much needed financial relief and newfound freedom to focus my energy to continue to heal.

I will post periodic updates here. You can also reach me via Facebook (Beatriz Cantelmo), MSN, or email.

With much gratitude,

-Bea