Continuing Cat's Legacy
Donation protected
I am Meredith, little sister of Catherine who is an incredible friend, sister, mother, and DC area rockstar recently diagnosed with a ridiculously rare and aggressive CIC-rearranged sarcoma. Many of you have asked how you can help. To be honest, Cat needs your help to reduce the financial stress of this awful diagnosis.
Catherine is one of the coolest, smartest, and most loving people you will ever meet. When Cat isn’t hanging out with her five-year-old son, she’s writing a new summer jam for her fans, or working as a geospatial information scientist, crushing the soccer field, or organizing neighborhood cleanups.
Since March 22, when Catherine was diagnosed with an ultra-rare soft tissue sarcoma near her collarbone, she has faced not only a health challenge, but a financial one as well. Cat had to withdraw from her master’s program at George Mason University and cut back her hours at work to begin the fight for her life. On April 26 she underwent her first round of chemotherapy at a local hospital in Fairfax, VA but due to complications, she has continued biweekly treatments in NYC at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center with one of the few specialists in the world in this type of rare sarcoma.
The plan for the next few months is to continue chemotherapy to kill any possible metastasis of the sarcoma and to hopefully shrink it. In a few weeks, her doctors plan to perform surgery to remove the tumor, with as little impact on her bone as possible. Then Cat will need four to six more months of chemotherapy to assure no metastasis.
I have always admired my older sister, but never more than now, as I see her ready to take on the fight of her life. I want to invite you to walk with Catherine during this difficult time in prayer, in words, and in finances. With the costly, frequent transportation logistics to and from NYC, the expensive and specialized hotel stays near the cancer center, her high insurance deductible, and the many other added expenses required for such specialized treatment, this process extends beyond her financial means and will prove more expensive as the weeks and months go on.
Any size donation will help cushion the financial impact on Catherine, so she can turn her whole focus on healing. Thank you for you help.
Organizer and beneficiary
Meredith Ipsan
Organizer
Annandale, VA
Catherine Ipsan
Beneficiary