Fund for Sarah's Cancer & Accident Trauma Care

Hello, and THANK YOU for taking the time to read my story. My name is Sarah Blaine. I am a mom to an awesome twelve year-old kiddo, a wife of almost 16 years to a wonderful husband, and a support to my mother who lives with us. I am only 42 years young, and was an active and busy mom until life came along and knocked me for a loop. Now I am fighting like hell to beat cancer, survive Lyme disease, and have my leg amputated after a traumatic car accident.

Our whole world was turned upside down in February of 2020 when I was in a traumatic auto accident. I had run up to our local market and slipped on the ice coming home less than a mile from our house. Thankfully I was going under the limit and nobody else was injured, however it left me with multiple compound fractures, breaks, and multiple permanent debilitating injuries. I was initially hospitalized for two weeks until they could stabilize my leg and perform the surgery to set the initial hardware. I have an incredible orthopedic team. They did a fantastic job saving my leg and did everything they could to give me the chance to walk again. Unfortunately, the hardware became infected a few months after the second surgery during the height of Covid. I had to be hospitalized over Easter for emergency surgery and things were touch and go if I would make it. A PICCC line installed for six months and lots of super antibiotics were prescribed to ensure things were staying controlled. Once things had stabilized again, I was back under the knife trying to get things set right and the infected hardware removed. Due to the extent of my injuries, they could not leave my leg in that condition, and I had to have a sixth surgery after that. This time my team decided to try for multiple grafts and an intense fusion. I had difficulty; but made it through the surgery, and we waited for months to see if it had taken. My pain started to increase around this time as weight was allowed, and after more scans, it was determined that the fusion and grafts had failed. The bones are currently grinding directly on bone, causing incredible worsening pain.

While we were discussing our next steps, I had a routine mammogram scheduled. Due to my dense breast tissue, I had a diagnostic mammogram, and low and behold, on the day before Christmas Eve, they told me I had Invasive Ductal Carcinoma (well, they told me it was Cancer, I found out what kind a bit later). I had the biopsy to confirm the day before New Year's Eve, and we had confirmation it was malignant. Not the best way to start the New Year. When the breast cancer was found, all the orthopedic work had to be put on hold. I've now had the lumpectomy and lymph node removal surgeries, five weeks of radiation, and am currently on medication with close monitoring to help prevent the cancer from returning. 

Unfortunately, with my joints and bones so damaged from the accident, my body is having trouble accepting the standard cancer prevention prescription, and life has been pretty rough lately. Our insurance is good, but it has left us with a large lump of bills to the hospital, which doesn't even touch the tip of the iceberg in other areas. The new recent changes in the Michigan insurance laws also changed my care and coverage dramatically. Things that normally were covered fully are now all out of pocket, and the potential costs of surgery, care, and prosthetics are enormous. So it is scary me to put everything out there, but we just can't do this alone. 

A good friend told me that being vulnerable and asking for help was being strong: and that people would want to support us during our time of need, so here I am. All funds will be used towards bills, medications, meals, and all medical expenses on the horizon. Knowing where to start is hard, so I'll begin and end with THANK YOU. You reading this and sending your love and light to our family means so much during this dark time.

Love,

Sarah, Chuck, and Emery