Debbie's Breast Cancer Treatment

Dawn Rose Geigan is organizing this fundraiser on behalf of Debbie Engle.

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Hi all. Thank you for taking the time to check out this page! We have decided to start a GoFundMe page for our dear friend Debbie Engle who is quite ill, battling Inflammatory Breast Cancer. Due to the nature of her illness, I will provide details where needed, but I also want to respect her privacy.

Debbie was diagnosed with IBC - Inflammatory Breast Cancer - in February 2015. After undergoing chemo, painful surgeries and radiation therapy, Debbie was briefly diagnosed as cancer free. However, this good news would only last about a month and the cancer returned! You see, this type of breast cancer is very different than other types of breast cancer. Inflammatory breast cancer is a rare and very aggressive disease in which cancer cells block lymph vessels in the skin of the breast. This type of breast cancer is called “inflammatory” because the breast often looks swollen and red, or inflamed. Facts provided by the NIH https://www.cancer.gov/types/breast/ibc-fact-sheet

Debbie has had treatment at a number of different hospitals in Maryland, however none of them specialize in IBC. In fact, due to the rarity of this type of cancer, the ONLY hospital which is actively researching to find a cure for this specific type of cancer is in Houston, Texas. It is MD Anderson Hospital. https://www.mdanderson.org/cancer-types/inflammatory-breast-cancer.html

Debbie previously inquired about getting treatment there, however she was informed that her insurance is not accepted at their facility.   It is not a participating plan. Debbie inquired about paying out of pocket and was told she would need $21,000 just to begin the process!!! Due to the high cost, she put this idea on the shelf even though this is really where she has wanted to go all along because they specialize in IBC.

On October 18, 2016, Debbie was informed by her current provider that the treatments she was receiving were no longer working. As a result of this news and a desire to help her, Debbie's friends have decided to start a GoFundMe campaign on her behalf. We want her to be able to seek treatment from the ONLY facility which is not only researching her type of cancer, they are also performing clinical trials for the NIH.

Although Debbie was quoted $21K just to be seen, we know that expenses will most certainly exceed that. There are also other expenses to consider: transportation to and from Texas, transportation and lodging while she is there receiving treatment and food and living expenses. Debbie will not have any income while she is receiving her treatment, however the expenses will still be present. It is our desire to ensure that she receives the BEST POSSIBLE CARE.   It is very unfortunate that one cannot get this based on the type of insurance that they carry, however that is the case.

Because her cancer is so VERY AGGRESSIVE, we need the funds NOW! They are needed ASAP. Inflammatory breast cancer (IBC) is unique and rare – and it can be fast growing and dangerous.   From the National Cancer Institute at the NIH: Inflammatory breast cancer progresses rapidly, often in a matter of WEEKS or MONTHS. At diagnosis, inflammatory breast cancer is either stage III or IV disease, depending on whether cancer cells have spread only to nearby lymph nodes or to other tissues as well.   As soon as we can get this funded, we would like to have Debbie seek treatment at MD Anderson IMMEDIATELY as time is of the essence.

This is so important to all of us who love and appreciate Debbie for the beautiful person she is inside and out. Let's not let the insurance carriers dictate what type of medical care she may have. Let's make sure Debbie gets the BEST care available.

Thank you to all of her family and friends for helping her out in her time of need.