Darkness to Daylight-Heather's Cancer Journey

Out of Darkness and Into Daylight- Heather and Kyle Howard’s Breast Cancer Journey

Words I never thought I would have to write…. My little sister has cancer. My name is Andrea Barham, and I am putting together this GoFund me to help Heather and Kyle through their journey with her cancer diagnosis. Every cancer story is different. Thank you for taking the time to be here on this page, whether you have known us our whole lives, know us through our friends and family, or have found your way here by happenstance.

The journey to this moment has been long and painful for Heather and Kyle. For a large part of her adult life Heather has battled stage four endometriosis. Endometriosis causes a laundry list of issues, and she had to endure most of them. For years they struggled with infertility because of Heather’s condition. Procedures failed time and again, and ultimately having a baby was a chapter of their lives they had to close. As Heather’s body continued to betray her, collateral damage from the endometriosis resulted in damage to both her ovaries and uterus that proved unrepairable. Just shy of her 40th birthday, she had to have a complete hysterectomy. She spent the fall healing and beginning life in post-surgical menopause. Following doctor’s orders she began hormone therapy, and her medical team asked her to have a mammogram done as a baseline as she was now 40 years old and would be taking hormone replacement therapy for her menopause. The results came back abnormal, as they sometimes can for a variety of reasons, and a biopsy was done. Little did we know, things were about to get much, much worse.

On October 31st, 2023 the call that all women fear, came. Breast Cancer. Her body had failed her one more time. Her cancer is Invasive Ductile Carcinoma. Surgery…. Radiation…. Possibly chemo depending on what they find on surgery day and genetic test results. After a long battle that cost them thousands upon thousands of dollars leading up to this, now she has a battle that will cost them thousands upon thousands more simply to survive. To live. They are already drowning in medical expenses, and the cost will keep rising as she fights for her life.

Fighting for one’s life is not a battle to be fought alone. It takes a village. It takes support, all kinds of support. If you feel moved to give, thank you. Any amount will help. Please also share her page as far and wide as you can, its a cautionary tale as well as a petition for help. If one person reads this and schedules their mammogram, newly or as something long overdue, then there is one more person out there that may have a chance to find a problem before its too far gone.

“It’s amazing what the hard times can reveal (have faith that you’re not alone)

Like who shows up, who walks away, and who’s for real (have faith that you’re not on your own)

It’s amazing what the hard times can reveal (have faith that you’re not alone)

Like who shows up, who walks away, and who’s for real (have faith that you’re not on your own)

Who shows up, who walks away, and who’s for real (have faith that you’re not alone)

You saved my life, not once but twice

You keep me free from falling

You saved my life, make it all alright

When I don’t feel like talking

You make sure I always see the daylight”

“Daylight”-Shinedown

#FightHeatherStrong #FightLikeAGirl