Brittany Lloyd-FitzSimmons Fighting AdvancedCancer

My name is Jessica and I am starting this fundraiser on behalf of my friend, Brittany, and her family of seven.

On December 2, 2022, Brittany was diagnosed with an extremely rare form of triple-negative invasive ductal carcinoma, an aggressive form of breast cancer. Triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) differs from other types of invasive breast cancer in that it grows quickly, is more likely to have spread at the time it’s found, has fewer treatment options, and is more likely to come back after treatment than other types of breast cancer. The outlook is generally not as good as it is for other types of breast cancer.

On December 14, 2022, Brittany learned she also has the BRCA 1 gene mutation, and will now need a double mastectomy and hysterectomy, on top of other planned surgeries. The BRCA1 gene is involved in DNA repair and provides instructions for making a protein that acts as a tumor suppressor. Tumor suppressor proteins help prevent cells from growing and dividing too rapidly or in an uncontrolled way. This gene mutation increases the risk of developing other cancers as well, such as ovarian, pancreatic, and skin cancer, in addition to increasing reoccurrence rates.

On December 19, 2022, MRI results indicate that cancer may have spread to Brittany’s lymph nodes, her other breast, and potentially her left lung. She is scheduled for CT scans, of her chest, abdomen, and pelvis, to finish staging her cancer. At this point in time, it is as at least stage 3.

Brittany is a strong mother, who has dedicated her life to taking care of others. She is a middle-school special educator, where her silly and sarcastic self fits right in. Brittany loves working with kids and works tirelessly to give her own children, wonderful memories. She has two 9-year-olds, an 11-year-old, a 15-year-old, a 17 year-old, and a loving and supportive husband. Brittany is funny, kind, and caring and would do anything to help others.

The funds raised from this campaign will not only help pay for medical bills, but also other day-to-day bills, such as the mortgage, car payments, and groceries. Only having 5 days left of FMLA, and less than 20 sick days to utilize, Brittany will need to take an unpaid leave of absence. She talks frequently about being worried about bills and the added pressure on her husband. I’m hoping this can give her some piece of mind so that she can focus all of her energy on fighting her cancer. Brittany has a long and difficult road ahead of her.

Any donation, no matter how small, makes a difference. Please help support Brittany and her family, as they navigate the many tough challenges ahead.

Thank you,

Jessica

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Additional Info:

What does triple-negative mean?

TNBC is a kind of breast cancer that does not have any of the receptors that are commonly found in breast cancer.

Think of cancer cells as a house. The front door may have three types of locks, called receptors—

-One is for the female hormone estrogen.

-One is for the female hormone progesterone.

-One is a protein called human epidermal growth factor (HER2).

If your cancer has any of these three locks, doctors can use a few keys (like hormone therapy or other drugs) to help destroy the cancer cells. But if you have triple-negative breast cancer, it means those three locks aren’t there. So doctors have fewer keys for treatment.

American Cancer Society