Give Amber a Chance at Life-Saving Treatment

Do you have a person in your life who is your friend for always? That person who makes your day brighter no matter what kind of a slump you might be in? That person who makes you laugh on a daily basis? That person who has celebrated with you during the ups and stood by your side during the downs? Well, I’ve been so fortunate to have that friend for always, and her name is Amber Carlsrud. For me, and for so many who know her well, she is that person. Here’s her story and the reason for this GoFundMe page:

Amber was diagnosed with Stage 4 colon cancer just over five years ago in April 2019. At the time of her diagnosis, the cancer had already spread to her liver. With the removal of the colon tumor and part of her liver, as well as chemotherapy, she was cancer-free for just over four years. This was wonderful news: four more years of memories and experiences and time with her husband, Mike, and their three young boys: Finn (13), Sven (almost 10), and Nels (7).

Last summer, in July of 2023, another spot was found on Amber’s liver. Due to the spot’s location, it was not able to be surgically removed, so she had an ablation instead. We all breathed a sigh of relief and thought of this as just another speed bump in Amber’s cancer journey.

This is where it gets almost too hard to type: At Amber’s three-month, post-ablation scans in November 2023, cancer was discovered in her lungs. Along with this news came scary and surreal words like “terminal” and “palliative care.” This time around, surgery is not an option, so she started chemotherapy again in January of this year.

While sharing the news with me back in November, Amber said, “I don’t feel it in my bones that I’m dying,” so now she’s embarking on an even bigger fight. She has the opportunity to take part in an innovative treatment at the Immunocine Cancer Center in Mexico. You might wonder why Amber isn’t doing clinical trials or other treatments closer to home. Her specific cancer type disqualifies her from many trials and traditional immunotherapies.

Unfortunately, this treatment is very expensive and not covered by insurance. The clinic has given her a cost of $70,000 for the treatment, and that does not include travel expenses or hotel stays. Amber isn’t able to work at this time because of her chemotherapy, and Mike operates a small family dairy farm in northwestern Wisconsin, making this a difficult expense for them.

Why now? Amber’s last chemo sessions have made her really sick. (They’ve all made her sick, but these last few have been different.) At some point, the chemo will stop working, and then it’s too late for this treatment.

There aren’t enough words to express how thankful Amber and her family are for the graciousness that has been shown to them by family, friends, and the community since the very beginning of her cancer journey.

This is a difficult (and humbling) thing for Amber to ask for. In fact, I wrote a first draft of this months ago, and then we paused while she waited to see how chemo went. She is used to being the helper, not the one who needs help. The funds raised will be used to pay for the treatment as well as travel expenses. Any donation you can make is greatly appreciated. Let’s give Amber the chance to fight her cancer battle with all she’s got.