no one should go through cancer alone.

What better time to start a fundraiser campaign than in October , Breast Cancer Awareness month.

Exactly a year after I was diagnosed with aggressive triple negative breast cancer.

I went through six months of chemo, surgery and 20 radiations. Kicked my ass big time!

Seven months later I am cancer free and every day I am doing all thats in my power to stay that way.

 

I don't think I would still be here to write this if it wasn't for the unconditional love and support of my family and friends. No one should be facing this terrible illness alone.

And thats where an amazing organization from my hometown of Zagreb "Nismo Same" (" We Are Not Alone") is making a huge difference. The organization started in 2015 when their founder was diagnosed with breast cancer herself. She witnessed a health system on the verge of collapse. Hospitals with not enough doctors, not enough nurses, not enough radiologists, ancient MRI machines, only one CT scanner, broken mammogram machine , no chemo medication... the list is endless.

 

Croatia is still a country where breast cancer is almost a taboo topic where people just do not talk about it . Not enough resources are available to help women through the diagnosis and healing process.

So "Nismo Same" partnered with Zagreb Taxi company to drive women to and from their chemo treatments free of charge!

They have raised enough funds to train and hire small group of unemployed women to help 90 cancer patients with grocery shopping, with at home help, to accompany them to chemotherapy or anything else they might need. All these services are entirely financed by donations.

 

I am so impressed by their hard work, positivity and endless empathy that I wanted to help them any way possible,

I figured my 50th birthday would be a good occasion to start.

 

Thank you dear friends for reading this and please know that any amount will be amazing.

90 lives is just a tiny drop with a hope for a big ripple.

Be part of the ripple and help me help them.

 

With love and gratitude,

Ivana