Fighting Cancer While Expecting: Brianne & Baby

I have created this page to help support my sister Brianne (age 32), her husband Hector (age 34), and the first child they have on the way. Brianne is battling Stage 4 Fibrosarcoma which has metastasized to her lungs and pancreas, as well as lesions on her head, neck and back. While fighting for her own life, Brianne is carrying Baby Rodriguez.

Let me start at the beginning. Twenty years ago, Brianne was diagnosed with soft tissue cancer (Fibrosarcoma). Fibrosarcoma is a very rare cancer affecting fibrous tissue near bone. Only 1% of all cancers are sarcomas, of which 10% are Fibrosarcoma. At only 10 years old, this was a scary and overwhelming time for Brianne. She faced medical visits, biopsies, chemotherapy, surgeries and eventually limb removal. Her right arm was amputated just below the elbow in 1998 (putting her in remission).

In the years following, Brianne was fortunate to live a relatively normal young-adult life. Each year, Brianne's family and friends looked forward to celebrating her survival. On her remission anniversaries, we reflected on how lucky we've been to have her in our lives as a brave and beautiful daughter, sister, lover, granddaughter, niece, cousin and friend. Her last remission anniversary was celebrated on October 28, 2018 -- 20 years cancer free, the way to be.

Just after her twentieth remission anniversary, in November 2018, Brianne found out she was pregnant. She and Hector had been trying for a baby and were overjoyed. Their excitement quickly turned to nervousness and worry, as it was early on in pregnancy when Brianne started noticing abnormal physical changes. Due to her medical history, any new lumps or bumps (other than a growing baby bump!) were immediately concerning. So, to the doctor she went.

That brings us to today. Brianne has been diagnosed with recurrent Fibrosarcoma. The ultrasounds, MRIs, CT scans, biopsies and pathology testing performed over the past several weeks have confirmed multiple masses throughout Brianne's body, including a 9 cm tumor in the lower lobe of her left lung, two smaller tumors in the upper lobe of her left lung, a suspicious nodule in her right lung, a 4 cm tumor near (or possibly invading) her pancreas and three lesions appearing on her head, neck and back. While the diagnosis is shocking, even more devastating is the fact that this type of Stage 4 cancer has a survival rate of only 16%.

The silver lining is that Brianne has been seeing a talented, knowledgeable team of Oncologists and Surgical Oncologists in South Carolina and at Duke University Medical Center. A recent genetic mutation study has confirmed that Brianne also carries the NTRK1 gene mutation, which is likely contributing to the cancer. In November 2018, the FDA approved a drug called Larotrectinib which targets the mutation with the objective of shrinking or eliminating tumors. It is the only drug of its kind and very new. Brianne has gotten approved for the drug. This may be her only hope for survival, other than a series of surgeries which might buy time but probably wouldn’t result in a cure.

And what about Baby Rodriguez? Currently, Brianne is 25 weeks pregnant and carrying a healthy baby. However, her life is in danger as she continues on with the pregnancy. It is likely that Brianne will deliver a very pre-term baby at 28 weeks, so she can then start on the Larotrectinib. If this happens, Baby Rodriguez will stay in the neo-natal intensive care unit for an estimated three months or until the original due date of July 7, 2019.

A few more facts:

1. Brianne and Hector are both still working. However, time off work is eminent. Brianne will need to take an unpaid leave of absence from her job for maternity leave and eventual cancer treatment and/or surgeries. As a young physician (allergist), Hector is still paying off a significant sum of medical school loans and working hard to support his sick wife and growing family.

2. The annual out-of-pocket insurance maximum for Brianne and Baby Rodriguez is $14,000 ($7,000 per individual). This is why I have started the fundraising goal at $25,000. I may change the amount in the future depending on next steps and medical expenses for Brianne and Baby Rodriguez.

3. I have created this Go Fund Me page with the goal of supporting Brianne and Hector mentally, emotionally and financially. They did not ask me to create this page. I am doing so to help show how much hope and love surrounds them! If you have already reached out, please do not feel obligated to donate. Brianne, Hector and our families appreciate all of your positive thoughts and acts of kindness.
4. I will continue to use this page as a way of keeping everyone up-to-date on the health status of Brianne and Baby Rodriguez. If you are interested in receiving updates, you can also contact me at [email redacted].

Please keep Brianne, Hector and Baby Rodriguez in your thoughts and prayers. Thank you for supporting their fight for life.