Give Your Best for Staci's Breast!

After a routine mammogram, my sister Staci Ascencio was diagnosed in February 2022 with triple-negative ductal carcinoma. This was a devastating diagnosis because it is one of the most aggressive forms of breast cancer, and Staci is a single mother who works as an independent contractor. Her selfless commitment to helping families as an Occupational Therapist around Los Angeles means she drives to provide in-home therapy to babies who have developmental delays and struggle to eat, move and thrive.

Giving your best will mean more than just saving Staci's breast. This fundraiser will directly go to helping Staci pay rent, utilities, buy groceries and gas. Her treatment has been at a facility nearly an hour away in the best traffic. My mom and I have each flown cross-country from North Carolina to provide immediate care. We plan to try and have a family member present as much as possible, but we need your support to beat this disease.

What should have been a routine lumpectomy where most people return to work in 3-5 days, resulted in serious complications and a subsequent surgery to remove a hematoma and control internal bleeding. Staci then got the news that her lymph nodes do seem to be involved, so her path forward is now more unsure than ever. She was preparing for 4-6 weeks of radiation treatments 5 days/week at a facility 90 minutes away, eliminating all wages from that time period. Now we are bracing for a third surgery to dissect the lymph nodes and are unsure of the subsequent treatment course. It is sure to be longer and more costly. Already she will have missed 2 full weeks of earnings and her initial medical costs have doubled due to hospital admissions, ER visits and additional necessary medical treatments all before accounting for her radiotheraphy or possible chemotherapy treatment time away from work.

Staci does more than just show parents and guardians exercises and strategies to help their children improve in her practice; she is a bilingual advocate who goes the extra mile to serve the whole family and extended community. Staci only gets paid when she actively meets with her patients who primarily come from underserved populations, so every appointment, day of weakness, surgery, and recovery time means lost wages.

We know times are tight for everyone. We know there are causes more pressing and as important as Staci's. Please, consider giving what you can part with to help our family help this beautiful, giving mother, sister, daughter, friend and activist a chance at maintaining:

We love you for generously considering Staci in this time of need. Be well, hug those who are close, and don't forget to get your mammogram!

We will update this narrative as Staci's health plan develops.